The Pharaoh and the Empress
by Ivy8
Summary: Yami is trying to unlock the secrets of his past. He stumbles upon a woman who may be the key to unlocking his memories, but there is more to her than meets the eye. (Empowerment to women.) NO FLUFF!
1. Chapter 1 The Warning

This is my first fan fic. I hope you enjoy it. This takes place post-Duelist Kingdom, but pre-Battle City. The only exception to this is that the whole gang already knows Marik and the dark hunters and everything, because I think they are awesome characters, and I don't want to wait to get to use them. If you have read this before November 5, 2004, then you will realize I did a change in the names. I was using the English, but it started to get on my nerves so now I changed it. When they are talking in Yugi's head, I will put it in italics. The story starts off at a fast pace to get you into the story, but after that it is a lot more detailed. Hope you enjoy!

Disclaimer: I do not own Yu-Gi-Oh. I only own Aida. What do you think this is on fan fiction for?

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"Damn it, Yug! You beat me again!," Jonouchi exclaimed during last period.

"You put up a great fight, Jonouchi! You pulled some moves I didn't expect," Yugi replied with a large grin on his face.

"I'm gonna beat you one day," Jonouchi replied with a smirk on his face.

"Maybe," Yugi said quietly returning the smirk. The school bell rang signaling the end of school.

"Come on you guys!," Anzu was waiting at the doorway with Honda. They had been on the edge of their seats waiting for the bell to ring.

"Yeah, we're gonna be late," Honda chimed in, "Jonouchi get the molasses out of your ass and move it!"

"Watch it, Honda!," Jonouchi replied as he and Yugi ran out the door behind them.

They ran all the way into the center of Domino city where the Festival of Games was being held. Everything from Duel Monsters to checkers was being played and celebrated throughout the crowd. Booths were set up selling games, cards, and food.

"Alright! Nachos!," Jonouchi shouted as he sprinted toward a snack stand. Honda followed immediately with drool slightly coming from his mouth.

"Well, I guess we should walk on our own. We will be waiting forever for them now that they have food," Anzu said pulling Yugi over toward the other booths.

"I guess you're right," Yugi said as he looked back at Jonouchi and Honda running from booth to booth ordering tons of food.

"Hey!," a voice said, "Are you Yugi Motou?"

Yugi turned to see a group of kids about seven or eight come up to him. Their eyes were wide with amazement. "Are you the winner of Duelist Kingdom? The King of Games?," another one asked.

Yugi blushed, "Uh, yeah."

"Could we have your autograph?," the smallest one piped in.

Yugi's blush increased, "I guess, yeah." He signed their favorite Duel Monster cards on the back.

"Thanks, Mr. Motou!," they said as they looked at the prizes in their hands.

"Call me Yugi," he said with his face flaming red. He waved goodbye.

"That was really nice of you, Yugi," Anzu said, "Now let's go check out what's around here."

Anzu and Yugi were making their way through the massive crowd finding all sorts of amusing things for sale. There was one booth Yugi stopped at that was selling extremely rare duel monster cards.

"Hey, Anzu! Come look at this!," Yugi called to her. He turned and saw she was gone, "Anzu? Anzu? Where are you?" 'I guess she didn't see me stop,' he thought. He suddenly felt someone walk up to him. He turned, "Hey, Anzu, I. . ."

"Be warned. The empress has awoken. She will be searching for the Pharaoh," a man in white said. He had the millennium key hanging around his neck, "Prepare yourself for the return of the Pharaoh's love."

"Shadi? What are you doing here? What do you mean? Who is the empress?," Yugi was confused.

"You must find her before they get to her," Shadi said as he disappeared into thin air.

_"What do you think he means Yami?," Yugi asked._

_" I don't know Yugi, but who ever this empress is we must find her. Shadi's warnings are not to be taken lightly," Yami responded._

"Yugi! Over here!," said Anzu's voice.

He saw her hand waving through the crowd. He made his way through the crowd and finally found her. "We need to find the others," he said.

"What's wrong Yugi?," she asked looking worried at the expression Yugi had.

"Nothing. I'm fine. It's just a little too crowded," Yugi replied trying to put on the most genuine smile he could, "Let's find Jonouchi and Honda."

Anzu agreed, but she knew Yugi was holding something back from her. She could always tell. They made their way through the crowd and spotted Jonouchi and Honda at a table piled with food.

"How do you guys expect to eat all of that?," Anzu asked giving the boys a look of disgust.

"Don't worry about it," Jonouchi said through a mouthful of food. Anzu and Yugi both rolled their eyes, but sat down anyway and waited for them to finish.

After they had finished eating, they all decided to go to the game shop. When they got there, they noticed a large crowd of people leaving.

"Yugi! There have been some people looking for you," Yugi's grandpa said as they entered the shop, "A couple of them heard that the king of games lives here. Business has been booming!"

"Wow, really?," Yugi said blushing, "I'm sure it has had more to do with the festival than me."

"Oh Yugi don't be modest," Anzu encouraged him, "You worked hard to get where you are, and don't think anything else but that."

"Gee, thanks Anzu," Yugi said blushing more. The door opened again and a crowd of people cam into the shop browsing and chatting about cards, "It looks like Grandpa is going to be busy down here. Maybe we should go upstairs." The others agreed and they all walked up the staircase to Yugi's room.

"There's something I need to tell you guys," Yugi said as they all sat down in his room, "Something happened while I was at the festival. Shadi appeared out of nowhere, and told me something really weird."

"What are ya' talkin' about Yug?," Jonouchi asked raising an eyebrow, "What did he say?"

The others leaned in to listen to Yugi continue. "He said that the empress has awoken and she will be searching for the Pharaoh."

"Yami?," Anzu asked intently.

"I guess so," Yugi continued, "He also said that we must find her before _they_ do."

"Who is they?," Honda asked.

"I don't know," said Yugi, "but I wouldn't be surprised if it had something to do with Marik."

For the rest of the afternoon they sat and talked about who the empress could be and what her purpose was. After they all left, Yugi went up to his room to lie down to sleep. Just as he got comfortable, he heard Yami.

_"Yugi."___

_"Is there something wrong, Yami?," Yugi asked._

_"There is something not right. It is strange. I feel like I am being pulled somewhere," Yami answered, "I think it may be to where the empress is. I feel it."_

_"Yami, if you feel you need to find her, then we'll help," Yugi said, "The whole gang will. We are here for you."_

_"Thank you, Yugi," he said, "it is in times like these that friends are great treasures to have. Now get some sleep. We will look for her tomorrow."_

"So you want us to come?," Honda asked as Yugi told them about Yami's feeling.

"That would be great, you guys," Yugi said a large smile spreading across his face, "I don't know how well we would do by ourselves."

"We could go after school," Jonouchi suggested. Everyone agreed.

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	2. Chapter 2 The Empress

Disclaimer: I don't own Yu-Gi-Oh.

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When the bell rang that afternoon, they dropped off their things at Yugi's. Yami came from Yugi's room after he had changed clothes, and they started their search. Yami followed the strong urges he was feeling to guide them. He would go down a street and feel something pulling him another way. They would turn and start to follow that path. The longer they walked, the stronger the feelings got. It had started to get dark when Yami's feeling was almost unbearable.

"I think she is over here somewhere," Yami said. He led them all down a dark alleyway.

"This is getting really freaky," Anzu said looking at their surroundings.

"There!," Yami whispered harshly as he pointed to a woman walking out of a building. She suddenly stopped and flung around. She came running at them. She stopped ten feet from them. She was relatively short with long, onyx black hair and piercing gray eyes. She wore an all white outfit with a long black coat that reached her ankles.

"Yami!," she cried as she ran up to him and immediately embraced him in a kiss. She had waited so long to see him again. All her despair had finally been lifted. He was shocked and immediately backed away. "It has been too long. Finally, you have returned," she said with tears welling up in her stunning moon colored eyes, "All of these years without you. Every life that passed by me, I felt my despair pulled me further into hell, but I knew you would return."

Yami just looked at her in shock not knowing how to react to her forceful approach. The others looked at him wondering what he was going to do. "Are you the empress?," he asked.

Her look of absolutely joy turned to confusion, "What do you mean am I the empress? Yami, what is wrong? Don't you remember?," she asked starting to worry.

"How do you know my name? If you are this empress, then maybe you can explain who you are and where you come from," Yami said calmly.

"You don't remember, do you?," she asked her voice started to shake. Tears flowed down her porcelain skin, "You forgot everything. All of these millennia I have yearned for your touch," she put her hand to his cheek and felt his soft flesh, but pulled it away looking to the ground, "and now I see the insignificant memory of me was unimportant to you." She then turned and started to walk away.

"Please, wait!," Yami called out to her. He ran up to her and tried to hold her back, but she was amazingly strong and pulled free of his grip.

"What is there left if you remember nothing?," she said as she turned a tear-stained face towards him, "Remember this just as you did all those memories we had long ago. . . Forget it." With that she turned again and ran from them.

He turned to the others and motioned them to follow. "What should we do now?," Jonouchi said as he caught up with Yami.

"We are going to follow her. We will see where she takes us," Yami said. The feeling of her touch still burned on his cheek. Why did his heart race?

They all followed her quietly as she walked through town. She started taking them through very rough areas, but she did not even seem to notice the potential danger there was. Anzu walked closer to Jonouchi and Honda as she was looking at the horrible part of town they were in. She accidentally ran into Yami who had suddenly stopped. "What's wron. . .," she began but Yami held up his hand for her to stop. There was a figure coming from behind some trees and had begun to follow the girl they themselves had been following. He grabbed her, held a knife to her throat, and started to drag her back into the trees.

"What have we got here?," he said as he licked up her neck, "Tastes pretty good. Let's have a little fun."

"No!," Yami said as he ran toward the trees where they had disappeared. The others followed. They saw the man still had the knife to her throat as they entered the trees. He had her pinned between him and a tree, but there was something odd about this scene. She had a smile on her face.

"You made a fatal mistake in thinking I was vulnerable," she said to the man behind her.

"Oh yeah, precious? I don't think you are going anywhere. Let's see whatcha got!," he said as he flipped her around, and then reached to pull on her shirt. Suddenly they heard a cling of metal, and out of nowhere an extremely long metal rod appeared in her hand. She flipped the rod behind the tree and grabbed it with both hands. She used it to pull her body up and kick the man off of her. Her feet landed on the ground as she wielded her metal rod with extreme skill.

"Come on!," she said to the form on the ground as she dug one of the ends of her weapon in the dirt, "Is that all you've got?! Bring it you load of shit!"

He slowly got up and said, "You are going to wish you hadn't done that, sweetheart, but I like it when you struggle." She brought up her hand and beckoned him on. He came charging at her. In an instant she lifted him into the air with her weapon, then hit him and threw him to the ground with it.

"Haaa!," she shouted as she gave him one last blow, "pathetic." There was the same sound of a cling of metal and both ends of the metal rod retreated to her hand. She turned to leave when she saw the group of people watching her out of shock. "You've been following me," she said her eyes welling up again, "get out of here and leave me be!" With that she shoved past them and continued her way.

The others looked at Yami. "We still need to follow her," Yami said to them, "We cannot lose her." They continued to follow her all the way until they were getting close to the game shop. They were one block away from it when she stopped and walked into an apartment building.

"At least we know where she lives now," Jonouchi said.

"Yes, but I don't understand what she meant by all those memories," Anzu said with a concerned look on her face.

"I don't know, Anzu," Yami replied with a sinking feeling in his gut, "but I must find out. Perhaps you all had better go home. I think I can take it from here."

"No way, Yug," Jonouchi said, "We're in this together. We won't leave you."

"Alright, then," Yami replied, "Let's go."

They walked into the building not knowing what they were going to find. They followed footsteps they heard up the stairs. None of them knew what Yami had in mind, but they were going to stick by him no matter what. They saw a door at the end of the hall close. Yami approached it, and turned the handle. He walked in and saw a large apartment in mostly white with wood flooring. There were large windows and a corner of the living room had gym padding laid out on the floor. There were several familiar metal rods leaned up against the wall. It was a relatively bare apartment with only the essentials. Yami walked up to the metal rods and examined them. They all had varied lengths and sizes, but they all felt extremely dangerous as if her energy were within them. He heard footsteps. She came from a backroom in a black camisole and matching boy cut underwear.

"What about leave me be do you not understand?," she asked.

"You must forgive me and the others," Yami said motioning at the group standing at the door. Honda and Jonouchi looked shocked and embarrassed at her attire. "You must understand. I came in search of you so that I may perhaps gain some of my memories back. You know about my past, and I know very little. Please, I am just trying to regain all that I have forgotten."

Her glare seemed to soften. "I need to know. Who are you and what is your name?," Yami said gently.

She studied him for a few moments and then replied, "My name is Aida. I am the empress and sworn protector of the Pharaoh."

"The sworn protector?," Yami asked. He was confused. What did this girl mean?

"Perhaps you should sit down before I continue. If you wish, I will tell you what you need to know," Aida replied. She was hurt, but after all these years, her love for him never faltered. It only increased.

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	3. Chapter 3 New Arrangements

Disclaimer: I don't own Yu-Gi-Oh.

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They all sat down. Aida looked at Yami and started to continue, "What do you remember?," she asked.

"The only things I know are that 5000 years ago I ruled over Egypt as Pharaoh and now I reside in the millennium puzzle," Yami replied holding up the puzzle.

"I have been waiting 5000 years to see that puzzle again. I knew it would lead me to you. I loved it and hated it at the same time," she said, "After my first death, I was awoken for the first time. I went in search of you. Then. . ." Before she could continue every window in the apartment broke. Wind whipped through the room. Aida ran to the corner where the metal rods were, grabbed one, and stood ready to fight.

"What's going on?," Anzu said getting scared.

"I don't know," Jonouchi replied. There were dark shapes moving by the broken windows. They could hear the crunch of the broken glass under their feet as they stepped inside through the windows from the fire escape outside.

Aida turned quickly, "Get out of here!"

"We will not leave you!," Yami called out.

"At least get her out of here then!," she shouted at Jonouchi and Honda. They nodded and pulled Anzu from the room. As Aida turned back to the windows, something struck her across the face. She landed on some glass and it cut her deep into her skin. The figures were rare hunters.

"We are here to claim the millennium puzzle," one of them said.

"You will never get my millennium puzzle," Yami sneered at them. They started to surround him. One of them approached him about to attack. They heard a swish through the air and the approaching rare hunter was thrown through the window out into the street a story below.

"What makes you think I am out of this game?," Aida said now standing between the rare hunters and Yami. There were small streams of blood coming from her cuts running down her arms and legs making her look even fiercer than she already did. Her eyes flashed at them awaiting the first move, "Yami, get yourself out. I can handle these wimps."

"No! I can't let you do that. This is. . .", Yugi started to say, but in a flash Aida opened the door shoved him out and locked it tight, "Aida! No!"

"Yug," he heard Jonouchi's voice, "what's going on?"

"Rare hunters," he replied, "she is attempting to take them on herself. We have to get in there." There were bangs and crashes coming from the apartment. They could hear Aida shouting.

"Come on, Jonouchi," Honda said, "We'll break down the door."

They heard the noises inside stop. "Aida?," Anzu called through the door, "Are you ok?" Silence answered her. "We have to get in there," she said, "something horrible may have happened." Jonouchi kicked the door open. They were afraid of what they might find. They walked in to see Aida standing with rod in hand looking out the windows. The streams of blood had stopped and dried. The wind whipped around her, and she had a dangerous look in her eyes. It was an impressive sight. The last one standing after battle.

"Where are they?," Yami asked her cautiously, "Where are the rare hunters?"

"Gone," she replied continuing her glare through the window, "They weren't here for the millennium puzzle."

"What?," Yami said, "then what did they want."

"They heard that I had awoken," she replied, "and since this is the first time I have awoken when the Pharaoh has returned, they needed to test how strong I really am."

"I don't understand," Yami said looking at the dark mistress before him. He felt attracted to her, but he did not know why. Did it have something to do with what Shadi had said? Something about the empress being the Pharaoh's love?

"Perhaps explanations are best kept for later," she said finally taking her gaze from the window, "I cannot tarry here any longer. I must find some place else for now."

"You could stay with my grandfather and I," Yugi said. Seeing her distress to get out of there, he took over and offered his home to her, "We can protect you."

"I don't need protecting," she said in a suddenly cold tone. Her eyes flashed angrily at him, but then in Yami's place she saw a boy no older than 15 or 16 with innocence in his eyes, "You must be the one who solved the millennium puzzle."

"Yeah," he said unsure after he saw the look in her eyes, "I'm Yugi. Yugi Motou."

"Very well," she said, "I'll get a few things." With that she went into the back of the apartment. A few minutes later she was fully dressed again, and had a black satchel hanging around her shoulders. She packed up the metal rods that were sitting against the wall. She grabbed a cell phone that had been plugged into the wall, "Let's go."

Yugi said goodbye to the others, and then lead Aida to his house. They were silent most of the way. Yugi kept glancing up at her wondering what was on her mind. When they came through the front door, Yugi's grandpa was waiting. "Hey, Yugi! How was schoo. . ." he then noticed the woman following him in, "oh, I see you have a new friend."

"Yeah, Grandpa this is Aida," Yugi told him then turned to Aida, "You can go ahead upstairs. I'll meet you up there." Aida nodded then made her way up the staircase. She could hear Yugi tell Grandpa her situation, "It isn't safe where she is. Can she stay here with us?"

"I don't see why not," Grandpa replied.

"Great!," Yugi said he then ran up the stairs to Aida, "you can stay in the extra bedroom."

"Thank you," she replied. He led her to her room, then left her with her thoughts. He went to his room, and changed into his bedclothes.

_"I need to find out what she was going to tell me back at her apartment, Yugi," Yami told him, "It may be the key to unlocking everything."_

_"Maybe we should let her settle in a little," Yugi suggested, "She has had a long night."_

They then heard shouts coming from the backyard. Yugi ran downstairs. He came to the back door to see Grandpa looking out on the back lawn. "Grandpa, what's going on?," he asked worried.

"She has amazing skill," Grandpa replied, "I wonder where she learned it from." Yugi walked up to the open door to see what he was talking about. Aida was out in the back yard practicing with one of the metal rods. She was amazing. She wielded it as if it was an extension of her own body. "I know I have seen her somewhere before," Grandpa said stroking his chin in thought, "I can't remember where." Grandpa then shut the door, and motioned for Yugi to let her finish. When Grandpa left the room, Yugi went back to the window to watch her.

_"There is something very familiar about her form," Yami told Yugi, "I have seen it somewhere before."_

Aida loved practicing. She always strived to increase her speed. If she was upset or angry for any reason, fighting always took her emotions away. When she was fighting, nothing mattered but the movements and motions that brought her to victory. Even with all of the emotions she had been through this night, fighting took the stress away.

After she had finished she went upstairs to take a shower. This washed away the rest of her worries and emotions that fighting had left behind, but there was still a speck that would not go away. It was the thought that the Pharaoh had forgotten everything. He had forgotten all the times they had spent together. He had even forgotten the day they became one.

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	4. Chapter 4 Cold Heart

Disclaimer: I don't own Yu-Gi-Oh.

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Yugi came from his room when he heard sobbing. It was coming from the bathroom. He knocked, but he still heard sobbing. He slowly opened the door to find Aida sitting on the floor with a towel wrapped around her. She was crying. She suddenly looked up shocked that someone was there.

"I. . . I'm sorry," Yugi said turning around and blushing, "I just heard you crying, and I was worried."

"I'm fine," she said with a cold tone going through her voice, "I don't need you worrying about me." She swept past him and went into her room.

Yugi could not understand what was bothering her, but maybe Yami could. Then she might give him the information that he wanted so badly.

Aida had dressed back into her bedclothes, and combed through her wet, ebony colored hair. She looked out the window wondering what was going to happen next. In all of these 5000 years that she had searched for the Pharaoh, she had never expected it to turn out like this. He had forgotten everything, and even seeing her did not jog his memory. Could she really keep to her vow that she made 5000 years ago if he remembered nothing? It caused a pain in her she felt threatened to engulf her completely. Tears started to stream down her cheeks once again. She pushed her face into the bed while she curled up on the floor. She cried harder. How could he forget?

There was a knock on the door, and Yami entered the room. "What do you want?," she asked quickly wiping away her tears so he would not see.

"Why are you crying?," he asked.

"I'm not," she said keeping her back to him.

"Then why are you upset?," he tried from another angle.

"What exactly is the purpose of this quizzing?," she asked looking back at him, "I am fine. I appreciate the hospitality, but I am not sure if I can stay here."

"What do you mean?," he asked wondering, "You are allowed to stay here as long as you like."

"The invitation may be there," she said turning around, "but it is whether I can attend that is still in question."

"I don't understand," he was confused. Why was she talking in riddles?, "there is something you aren't telling me. Please, I only want to help you. What is it that you know?"

"I am not sure if I should tell you," she replied, "if you do not remember, then maybe that is the way it is supposed to stay," she looked down at her feet, "but then why have I been brought back again and again awaiting your return. . ." She looked over into his eyes. Then she knew. Even if she meant nothing to him, he had the right to know about his past. She walked over to the bed and motioned him over. He sat down wondering what it was that she knew.

"Like I was saying in the apartment, after my first death 5000 years ago, I was awoken for the first time. I went in search of you. I knew things had dramatically changed. The shadow games had ceased, and I felt the magic had been locked away. I did not care about this. The only thing I wanted was to find you. I returned to our palace, but it had been deserted. There was one person there, however. A caretaker was watching over it. He called himself Shadi. I asked him where you were, and. . .," she turned away from him. Tears ran free down her cheeks.

"You can tell me when you are ready," he said as he turned her toward him. Her eyes were the color of moonlight, and they showed pain. Something inside him burned for her. He let go of her, and went to the door, "I will wait until you are ready." She looked down at the ground ashamed of her tears. "Goodnight, Aida," he said, and then shut the door. Why was she showing him this vulnerable side of her? Why did she, for the first time in her many lives, suddenly break down in front of someone? In her heart, though, she knew why. She knew why she loved him, and why she felt she must protect him from anyone who stood in his way to save the world from the evil that lurked in it. She pulled back the blankets on the bed, and almost instantly fell asleep.

Yugi had taken over once again, and went to his room. He sat down on the bed and looked over at the transparent form of Yami leaning against the wall deep in thought.

_"What are you thinking about, Yami?," Yugi asked him._

_"When she was telling me about the past, she said something very strange," he said with his brows furrowing, "she said she returned to 'our' palace. What did she mean by that?"_

_"Gee, I don't know," Yugi replied, "she may be able to tell us more tomorrow."_

_"Perhaps," Yami said frowning, "I did not understand what she was trying to tell us. When she was telling us of the past there were many things I did not understand, but get some sleep, Yugi. You still have to go to school tomorrow."_

_"Oh, yeah," Yugi replied getting under the covers, "with all that happened today I almost forgot."_

With that Yugi fell asleep, and his dreams were filled with strange and scary events. He was in the middle of a duel, but there were no cards. He was commanding his monsters. He looked to his right. A woman approached. Panic hit him.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------Kind of short, but things start to get interesting after this! Review Please!


	5. Chapter 5 New and Old Acquaintances

Disclaimer: I don't own Yu-Gi-Oh.

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The next morning Yugi got up, and got ready for school. He checked on Aida one last time before leaving. She was still sleeping. He quietly closed the door, and made his way to school. Yugi's favorite class was last period. It was a study hall, and Jonouchi, Honda, and Anzu were all in it.

"So how is the new roomy thing goin'?," Jonouchi asked Yugi as they sat down.

"Fine," Yugi replied, "she seems to know a lot about the past, but there is something about it that upsets her."

"I feel sorry for her," Anzu said coming in on the conversation with Honda following suit, "she seems to have a lot on her mind, but the way she handled the rare hunters was amazing. I've never seen anything like it."

"Yeah," Honda said, "those rare hunters never had a chance."

"If I wasn't trying to protect Anzu, those rare hunters would have been demolished if I had been there," Jonouchi said punching the air.

"I'm sure a monkey would really be terrifying to them," Honda teased.

"Monkey?!," Jonouchi exclaimed jumping out of his seat, "you want me to show you how I would kick their asses?"

"Cut it out!," Anzu yelled as she shoved Jonouchi back on the chair then turned to Yugi, "Yugi, she seemed pretty upset when we left last night. What do you think is bothering her?"

"I don't know. I just bet it has something to do with the past," Yugi said, "Hey, I know! Maybe you guys should come over and cheer her up. You guys always cheer me up. You could probably do the same with her." They all looked at him uneasily. They did not know this new girl. They did not know what she was like, or anything about her.

Aida woke up hearing the bell downstairs chiming on the door. She sat up, and rubbed the sleep from her eyes. She walked down to Yugi's room. It was empty. She felt an urge she could not resist. She acted tough when she had to. She did not want to show any weakness, but this was one time when no one was around. She walked in and looked around. She laid on his bed and breathed in the scent on his pillow. It was intoxicating. She smiled realizing how crazy she must look, but she did not care. She looked at the clothes in his closet. She smiled seeing all the little punk clothes he had. She heard footsteps coming up the stairs. Her heart started racing, she ran as quietly and as quickly as she could to her room. There was a knock on the door. Yugi's grandpa walked in.

"If you want any breakfast just help yourself," he said with a smile on his face, "our house is your house."

"Thank you," she said as he shut the door. She let out a sigh of relief. She took the rules in fighting into the real world. Any sign of weakness meant death. There was only one person she ever felt she could reveal every facet of herself to, and he was not in any position to be there for her. She knew the only person she could really trust with her feelings was herself.

She got dressed, and decided to take a walk to take her mind off of things. As she walked through town, she tried to amuse herself with shops and the people running their errands, but there was a nagging sadness in her that would not go away. She found herself immersed in her thoughts once more; in memories of the past. She pictured in her mind a man in the attire of the Pharaoh. She saw the way those Egyptian eyes would always make their way over to her. A smile had made its way onto her solemn face when she felt herself smack into something. She tripped back and hit the ground. She looked up into an all too familiar face.

"Watch where you're. . .," a tall gentleman with surly blue eyes gazed down at her. He held out his hand to help her up, "I'm sorry. Entirely my fault," he pulled her hand in and kissed it, "I am Seto Kaiba. President of Kaiba Corp."

"Pleased to meet you," she said in a hurried voice. She had to get away, "Sorry, but I must be going."

"Wait," he said. He felt like he had to do something to get her to stay, or go with him. Why did he feel this way? "What is your name?," he asked.

"It's Aida," she said not looking up at him.

"Lovely," he said, "What do you do? Where do you live?"

That was when she did look up and gave him a look, "I am staying with someone for a short while. I really must be going," she then turned and started to jog in the opposite direction.

"Who are you staying with?," he called after her. He had to know where she was going to be.

"Yugi Motou!," she called back still jogging away hoping she could get a clean escape. He stopped. That was the first time he had really had an interest in someone, and Yugi had already taken that away. His anger burned inside him. Would Yugi stop at nothing?

Yugi and his friends were walking to his house after school when they saw Aida sprinting from town, and stopping when she turned the corner to catch her breathe. She had a strange look on her face. "Aida!," Yugi called out, "what happened?"

Aida had stopped to catch her breath. She could not believe Seto was so close. It seemed that though he did not remember, he still had his feelings from the ancient times. She then heard, "Aida! What happened?" Yugi and his friends from the night before were all with him. She walked over to them still trying to catch her breath from running for six blocks. "Nothing. I just thought I would go on a quick run," she lied. The others could tell, but they did not question. They all walked to Yugi's house, and Aida made her way to her room. She let out a small gasp of shock when she saw that they had followed her.

"We came to give you some company," Yugi said, "You were by yourself all day."

"Oh," she said with an apprehensive tone, "ok. . ."

They all took seats around the room, and Yugi and Jonouchi started talking about Duel Monsters. Anzu and Honda took out their decks, and they all started talking about different cards and their hidden powers. Aida sat back and listened to them. It was amusing to her to watch a group of friends talk with one another, laugh, and have fun.

"Do you have a deck, Aida?," Anzu asked. They all turned and looked at her.

"No," she replied feeling like she was the odd one out, "I've never played before." They all exchanged looks between them. "I never really had time for games. I have mainly concentrated on fighting and training," she said seeing their exchanged glances, "it is something that I have strived to perfect."

"I've never seen anyone fight like you," Anzu said, "It was amazing."

Aida smiled at this compliment, "Thank you."

"How long have you been fighting?," Jonouchi asked her. A reluctant look overcame her face, and she looked down at the ground trying to figure out a way to say it. Seeing her expression Jonouchi said, "Do you think you could show me a couple moves?"

She was relieved he changed the subject, "Sure."

"Jonouchi, you're ass is going down," Honda said smirking.

"Yeah? Well if she shows me some moves, I bet I can kick the shit out of you!," Jonouchi shot back at Honda.

"You wanna make a bet on it?," Honda challenged standing up.

"Stop it, you guys," Anzu said pulling Honda back to sitting, "this is stupid to fight over."

"Yeah, well, I guess I'll let that slip by," Jonouchi said. Anzu gave Honda a look to keep his mouth shut. Jonouchi turned to Aida, "So what are we waiting for?"

"Well, lets go outside," she said grabbing her bag that held her metal rods. When they got outside, she took out two of the metal rods, and handed one to Jonouchi. "These are designed after Jueng Staffs," she said as she balanced one on her hand, "I've had these specially made for perfect balance and precision."

"Was that what you had last night?," Jonouchi asked.

She reached in her pocket and pulled out a small metal tube that resembled a pen. She hit a small button on the side and the ends shot out to create a staff. "This one is my favorite," she said doing a couple of impressive moves with it, "I had to win many tournaments to afford to have this made."

"Tournaments?," Yugi asked.

"Yes," she replied hitting the button again making the rod snap back into the small tube shape, "I was a professional fighter before I moved to Domino, but not the type normally thought of. I had no manager, no trainers, nothing. I would enter tournaments by myself to make enough money to travel. . . Well, let's get started." She caught herself about to tell them about her journeys in search of the Pharaoh. She could not tell anyone until the one person most worthy of knowing about the past knew first.

Aida showed him basic hits and defenses. Then she tested him to see how well he learned. "Alright, Jonouchi. Let's see how much you have retained," she said as she entered a stance, "let's go."

Jonouchi came at her doing the hits she showed him. She blocked every one, then knocked his staff to the side, caught him with hers, and flipped him on his back. "Not bad," she said with a smile, "you've been learning. Now really show me what you've got." This time Jonouchi even did a few moves that she did not show him. After a few minutes, she had him on his back again. "You're a fast learner," she said, "You would be a good fighter." Jonouchi blushed. She then turned to Anzu, "Why don't you give it a try? A girl needs to know how to defend herself," she had taken a liking to Anzu, and hoped that maybe they could become friends. It had been a long time since she had been able to have friends.

"Oh, I don't know," Anzu said apprehensively, "I don't think I could do anything like that."

"You don't know until you try," Aida said holding out a staff for Anzu. There was something in Aida that Anzu felt she could trust.

"All right!," Jonouchi said with a hungry grin on his face, "Girls fighting!" Aida and Anzu looked over at Jonouchi with harsh, but playful stares. "What?," he said picking himself a seat particularly close.

Aida let Anzu practice some of the moves she saw Jonouchi do. She then showed her some helpful moves that a female's limber body were great for. They then prepared to fight. Aida began by doing basic hits for Anzu to block. Then Anzu tried her hand at some. She then came at Aida by lifting herself up with the rod and gently side kicking Aida down.

Aida got up and said, "Excellent! You've the form and determination that only the best fighters have. I will have to remember to keep a close guard on with you." Anzu smiled and they shook hands.

"It's getting pretty late," Anzu said looking at the time on her cell phone, "I had better get home." The others agreed, and Yugi walked them to the door while Aida put up the staffs.

"Thanks you guys," Yugi said low enough so Aida would not hear, "I think you helped a lot!"

"No problem, Yugi," Anzu said, "It was a blast!"

"Yeah," Jonouchi chimed in, "it's been a while since I have had this much fun."

"We'll have to come back over sometime so I can show Aida how quickly I can kick Jonouchi's ass!," Honda said giving Jonouchi a small shove. Yugi closed the door as the three walked home with Jonouchi and Honda wrestling each other.

Aida came in with her bag, and saw Yugi shutting the door. "I really like your friends," she said as he turned back to her, "they are really nice."

"They're your friends, too," Yugi told her, "You are our friend."

Aida gave him a small smile of gratitude. She went upstairs, and put her weapons away. As she was putting them into the closet she heard a familiar deep voice behind her.

"Aida," Yami said as he came into the room, "where did you learn to fight like that?"

"I learned it a long time ago," she vaguely said.

"Who taught you?," he asked being cautious. He was trying to get her to tell him more about the past, but also trying not to bring up the bad memories that seemed to plague her.

"Someone from my past," she answered. She did not know if she was ready to tell him.

"You know you can tell me whenever you are ready," Yami said gently, "but the longer you wait. The harder it may be."

She looked up into his eyes, and that was all the strength she needed, "All right, I'm ready." Just as she began to tell him, there was a knock at the door.

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	6. Chapter 6 Reliving the Past

Disclaimer: I do not own Yu-Gi-Oh.

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"Aida, there is someone here to see you," Yugi's grandpa said as he opened the door.

"What?," she asked as she turned to Yugi, "Who would come to see me?" She got up and went downstairs. When she opened the front door, she saw a rather short, stubby man push his way into the closed game shop. Yugi came up behind her to see who it was. Yugi's grandfather let out a small gasp. "Do you know who that is?," she heard Yugi ask his grandfather. He slowly shook his head with an angry look in his eye.

"What do you want?," she asked the man before her.

"My boss wants a word with you," he said in a rather raspy voice.

"Why did he not come to the door himself?," she asked not liking the situation that was at hand.

"He would like to have a private conversation," the odd man replied and motioned her to a limo parked right outside the door.

She started to make her way toward it when she felt Yugi hold her back. "I don't trust them," Yugi said pulling her back, "It could be dangerous."

"Don't worry about it," she replied shrugging off his hand, "I can handle this." She walked out to the car, and the short, odd man opened the door for her. She sat down and found herself opposite Seto Kaiba. She gasped and turned to get out, but the door locked. She pulled the handle, then tried to find the latch to unlock it, but there was no way to unlock the door from the inside. She saw Yugi come running out, but the man outside pushed him back inside.

"Hey! Stop that!," she yelled through the glass. She turned to Kaiba, "What do you want?!"

"Having barely met you today, I wanted to have a longer conversation," he began.

"Is that what this is about?!," she started to get angry.

"I have never felt about anyone the way I feel about you," he said very sternly, "I want you to come stay with me. Yugi Motou is a geek and a loser. I could make you a lot more comfortable than he ever could."

"You don't even know me!," she said. She started to worry. She had to get away from him before everything that happened so many years ago repeated itself.

"I know what I want," he said simply, "and I always get what I want."

"I'm sorry if this is your first let down," she said getting what looked like a pen from her pocket and shoving it against the glass, "but I am going to have to decline the invitation." She hit the button and the staff shot through the glass. She kicked the excess and got out of the car as quickly as she could. The strange man that had shoved Yugi tried to push her back towards the car, but she assaulted him with her staff. She heard a car door shut behind her. She turned to see Kaiba standing on the curb.

"Impressive," he said, but there was no expression on his face except anger, "I will be seeing you soon." With that he got into the car, and it drove off out of sight.

"Are you all right, Aida?," Yugi asked. He came up behind her.

"I'm fine," she replied with a cold stare following the path the car took, "are you alright? That guy didn't hurt you, did he?"

"No, I'm fine," he said, "Let's go inside."

Yugi suggested that they go ahead to bed, and they would talk in the morning. They had the whole weekend to talk. Yami was getting anxious to talk to her. He wanted to know what she knew. He wanted to know why every time he saw her something inside ached for her. His lust burned for her. He had to know.

The next morning Yugi woke up early. He went downstairs, ate some breakfast, and then sat on the couch watching TV. As he was flipping through the channels, his grandfather came into the room. "Yugi," he said, "there is something you need to see."

He handed Yugi an old magazine. Yugi turned to the page that was marked and let out a cry of amazement. There, above a small column, was a picture of Aida. The column heading read "Young Woman Found Brutally Murdered." They heard a sound come from the stairs. Aida came into the living room. "What's going on?," she asked at the looks on their faces. Yugi held up the magazine. The look on her face was neither of shock nor fear. It was solemnity.

Yugi changed to Yami, "What is this, Aida?," he asked standing up and taking the magazine over to her.

She took it from him, examined it, and looked into his eyes, "I guess it is time you found out everything."

She walked around the couch and sat down. Yami and Grandpa took their seats closely listening. "I don't think I know where to start," she said still staring at the magazine article below, "The first time I was awoken 5000 years ago, I could not understand what happened. I knew that I had died, but somehow I was back," she looked up and saw their puzzled looks. She then continued, "I have been dying and being reborn over and over for 5000 years. When I die, I am instantly reborn. Where and to whom, I never know. I don't have my past memories until my body turns about twenty. Then my memories and past lives are awoken within me. It is usually not long after that I am killed. It is always the same. I realize the Pharaoh has not returned, and I feel someone coming for me. Soon I know my death will come, and the rebirth will begin again."

"Why does this happen?," Yami asked barely believing what he was hearing.

"Because I am searching for him," she said looking up into his eyes, "I have been searching for the one I let down so many years ago."

"Who is that?," Yami said now leaning in close dying for her to tell him everything that she kept in her mind.

"The Pharaoh," she stated very plainly, but it echoed in their heads, "I have been searching for you for 5000 years. I have been living and dying, roaming this earth, awaiting your return. I made a vow that I must keep."

"What vow?," he asked.

"To protect the Pharaoh," she said, "the one whose life was shared with me."

"What are you talking about?," he asked. What did she mean? He now needed to know everything.

"This brings me to tell you of what happened in Egypt," she said sitting closer to him and taking his hand. His heart started to race at her touch. Maybe she could give him the explanation of why he reacted this way around her, "I don't exactly know all of the details, because I was not around when the millennium items were forged. I guess I will start, however, with how we first met."

Aida heard her teacher come through the door. She could not see him through the blindfold he had placed on her. She stood ready and waiting for him to strike. The room was silent. She used every sense she had to predict where he was and where he would attack. He walked slow circles around her watching her turn her head toward him with every step he took. He then quickly and forcefully lunged at her. She blocked it with ease. With every blow he tried to make, she countered it and then quickly hit him. He then knew she had finished her training.

She had walked home that afternoon with a smile on her face. She knew she was making her way up in the ranks of fighters in the kingdom, but her teacher had told her she would conquer the rest with ease. She had no aspirations to become the best fighter no matter what; she just found joy in releasing her emotions and having that being worth great honor.

"It looks as if someone is happy this day," her father said coming from the bedroom, "how went your practice?"

"I finished," she said smiling, she felt so happy to bring pride upon her family.

"I cannot wait to present you to the others tonight," he gleamed happily, but this comment turned Aida's stomach.

"I will not go to that group of mutinists," she said in a calm and collected voice, "You know I cannot."

"You will go," he said straightening himself to look more prominent, "I will not hear more about this. The Pharaoh knows nothing; he is nothing. We will make sure of that. Now that I know you are ready, I will present you tonight, and you will become the leader of our minions. It has already been discussed. You are the best fighter out of any, and the most suited. Even Kaiba agrees."

"I do not care what Kaiba thinks," she said her voice growing icy, "I will not lead this charade of treachery. You know where my faith lies, and it will not waiver."

"We shall see where your faith lies," he said turning away from her, "Kaiba has asked to speak with me tonight, and if it is about what I think, you will be changing your mind very soon."

Aida loved her family dearly, but she hated their deceitfulness. Her entire family was filled with conspirators against the Pharaoh, she being the only one to lay her faith in him. They knew it, and hated it. It brought them shame at the thought, but she brought too much pride everywhere else for them to shun her. She knew they were conspiring something against her. She felt sympathy for the Pharaoh, for they were committing the same crime against her.

A few days later, she came home from a walk to find a surprise in her wake. Her parents had thrown a party. She walked through the door surprised as everyone stared at her with smiles. "Here she is! My daughter!," her father chauvinistically presented her, "The future Mrs. Seto Kaiba!"

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	7. Chapter 7 Enter Pharaoh

Ok, I realize that Kaiba is not his name in the past, but it's never said what his last name is back then and I wanted a last name to use, so I just used the same one. Enjoy!

Disclaimer: I do not own Yu-Gi-Oh.

Panic struck her. They had arranged a marriage for her, had an engagement party, and all the while never told her a word. Of all the people that could have proposed, it was the one person she loathed.

Seto Kaiba was the leader of a group that was set against the Pharaoh. It was the very group that most of her family was a part of, and that she was against. She felt herself becoming dizzy when she saw him coming toward her. This was not what she wanted! Did her feelings not matter? He approached her with a smirk on his face. She had never liked the way he looked at her. He would come to her matches at the arena, and the only thing on him that moved were his eyes as they followed her every movement. She had always been able to stay away from him and avoid conversation with him, but now that he felt he had some merit to her she did not see how she was to avoid his looks nor his touch. She was scared and furious at the same time. He pulled her over to the middle of the crowd, and asked her to accept his hand in marriage. She felt as if the room was spinning and she was going to pass out. This was not what she wanted. Everything was going terribly wrong. How could her family do this to her?

"Answer him," her mother said urgently. It brought her back to full consciousness.

"We will be married in three days," Kaiba said with an awful grin on his face. He did not even begin to acknowledge that she had not answered him. She knew what she must do.

"I cannot and will not marry you, Seto," she said with malice in her eyes, "I am faithful to the one and only true ruler; the Pharaoh! My family may be in this with you, but I for one am not! I want to have nothing to do with this silly fight, but if I am forced I will not join your minions, but will fight _you_ for my king." The room was silent. Her mother and father were shocked and appalled at her rant.

Kaiba grabbed a hold of her arm, dragged her into the next room, and slammed the door shut. He threw her against the wall, and came within an inch of her face. "You will never defy me," he grabbed her face and forced her to kiss him, "You will be my wife, even if I have to slaughter your so called king right in front of you. You belong to me now. In three days, we will be married, and your faith will be in your husband as you will swear in that ceremony."

"You hardly know me," she said trying to break his grip, "There are thousands of women in this kingdom. They are no different than I. I am sure there are plenty who would be overjoyed to take your side, so just leave me be."

"I have made my choice," he said as he tightened his grip and pressed her harder against the wall, "I will not change it. I have found what I want, and I will have it."

"You talk as if I am a possession," she spat back at him. His grip was beginning to make her fingertips grow numb. "I do not belong to anyone. Especially not some sordid, chauvinistic traitor like you!"

With that he hit her across the face throwing her to the floor. He grabbed the back of her neck pulling her back up, then threw her across the bed. He held her down, and slowly tightened his grip around her throat. She started to choke. Was he going to kill her? She started to cough as she was trying to gasp for breath. He brought his face up to hers and harshly whispered, "You will never disrespect me. You are mine, and you had better get rid of that attitude of yours. I will not tolerate my wife speaking to me that way," he let go of her, and got off the bed. He straightened his clothes as she was coughing and gasping for air. "Tomorrow I will send a tailor to fit you for your garments. There will be no argument. Now, get yourself together, and get back out here," he then left acting as if nothing had ever happened. She laid on her side with tears streaming down her face. She felt ashamed that she had backed down and taken his abuse, but she was afraid of his power. She knew that he was very powerful, and that her fighting skills alone could not hinder him. The only way out she could see was the open window across the room.

She pulled herself through the window. As she set one foot on the ground, she lost her balance and fell. She looked through the window to see if anyone heard, but no one came barging into the room. She could hear the music and the laughter coming from the main room of the house. She cursed them. They all danced and rejoiced while she was fleeing from her own home.

She walked down the paths winding through their village. She kept her head down as some of the patrons stared at her. She decided she had better pick up her pace if one of them recognized her, and decided to tip off someone at the party. She did not know where she was fleeing to, but she just kept going. She needed to clear her mind, and get her thoughts in order. The thoughts of becoming a drifter had come to her, but she knew that Kaiba would find some way to find her and bring her back.

It was dark out, and the chill of the air began to nip at her. She needed to figure out what she was going to do for the night at least even if she could not think of a solution to the real problem at hand. Feeling tired from all of the emotions she was going through, she sat down on a bench and drew her feet in. She felt ashamed, but she could not help but let her tears stream slowly down her cheeks. She did not know what to do. She felt lost and alone. There was no one to help her, and in her heart she knew the only solution was to marry Kaiba.

"Why are you crying?," a strong, soothing voice asked her.

She looked up shocked that someone was standing there. In front of her was a cloaked man. His hood was up and she could not see his face. She wiped away her tears quickly, then pretended that they were never there. "I wasn't," she replied turning partially away from him. She wanted no pity.

"Oh, I see," he said, then held out his hand to her, "Will you walk with me?"

She had nothing to lose, so she took his hand, and they began to walk. He knew something was not right, but did not question her.

"I love it at this time of night," he said striking a conversation, "It is so peaceful."

"Yes, I suppose it is," she replied thinking of the darkness that now engulfed her future.

"I enjoy walking at this time of night," he continued, "It lets me get a sense of who these people really are. It lets me see them in their home environments."

She noticed that he kept himself completely covered, even though it was in the dead of night. "Why do you cover your face with that hood?," she asked him hoping he would remove it.

"We all have our secrets," he replied. She knew he meant her withholding from him her reason for crying.

"Things are taking a turn for the worst for me," she said looking down at the ground once again, "I know that there is no way out of my situation, and I will have to just let the worst happen."

"Surely there is something that could help you," he suggested, "If you tell me what is wrong, maybe I could help."

"No one can help me," she replied, "He has me blocked on all sides."

"He?," he asked.

"Yes. There is a man that will take all the joy from my life," she replied as her eyes turned red from holding back tears, "I have no choice but to let him."

"Perhaps you should not look at it in such a black and white perspective," he turned, pulled up her face, and wiped away a tear, "No one deserves eternal grief. You must trust me when I say this. Even when everything is closing in on you, and the world begins to turn black. There will always be a light to save you."

She never wanted him to let go of her. She did not know who he was, but she knew that his touch sparked hope in her. She had never felt anyone on her flesh like that before. Even after he let go of her, her cheeks were almost singed from the burn of his touch. He continued to walk.

"Thank you," she said, "I hope that my light comes soon."

"Trust me," he replied, "It will. For now I am going through a dark time, and I know soon that it will ebb away."

"What is it that plagues you?," she asked genuinely concerned for this man that she felt drawn to.

"I have rivals that threaten me," he said his tone going cold, "They are blinded by what they think is right, but I will not falter for I know that the light will reach me."

"How can you be so composed?," she asked, "There are people threatening you, and you are not shaken at all?"

"I will admit that I am not weak myself," he said with a little bit of laughter streaming through this statement.

They continued to talk until the sun started to rise. She had never been able to talk to anyone like that before. She trusted him more than anyone she knew. It was strange after just a few hours, but she knew he was special, and hoped that he thought the same about her. "I almost do not want this to end," she said truthfully. She did not know who this man was, but she did not want to see him go. What if she never saw him again?

"Neither do I," he took her hand, "Come stay with me. I could use some company. It gets rather lonely where I am. Please, grant me the pleasure of being your host."

"Of course," she replied with her heart leaping out of her chest, "I would be honored, but I must go back to my home before I do."

"It is understood," he said, "Meet me back where we first ran into each other."

"One thing before I go," she said approaching closer to him, "May I see your face?"

He nodded, and then pulled down the hood of his cloak. She gasped and stepped back. The face staring back at her was none other than Pharaoh Yami himself.

She threw herself to the ground in bowing to him, but she felt herself being lifted back up to her feet.

"Do not bow," he said lifting her face up to him, which she was trying to keep to the ground. It was lack of respect for any common peoples to look directly at the Pharaoh, "This is why I sometimes like to walk through the villages covered from sight. It lets me see my people as they really are without ranks and such getting in the way. Do not look at me now as Pharaoh, but as a person."

"If it is your wish, your majesty," she said trying to keep herself from constantly looking at the ground.

"Just call me, Yami," he said lifting up her face again.

"I cannot call you that," she said looking at him dead on this time, "It would disgrace you for someone common like me to call you by no title."

"I do not want, I being Pharaoh, to get between us," he said smiling, "I trust that you will still hold true to our agreement, and come to stay with me, Ateyda."

She could not help but to truly smile at these words, "Yes, I will. I gave you my word, Phar. . . Yami. Wait, you know my name?"

"Yes," he replied smiling, "You are a wondrous fighter."

"I did not think you watched the matches until you oversaw them at the finals," she said not believing that he would remember her name.

"Cloaks can be useful in more ways than one. I will meet you tonight then," he said giving her a small nod.

"Yes, until tonight, Yami," she turned back toward her home. Her heart was racing in her chest. She had met a wonderful man, and he then turned out to be the Pharaoh! Her mind was racing, but then it made a very sudden stop. How would she tell her family?

Review Please!

I know I stopped this at a weird point, but the next good stopping point is a lot later in the story, and this was already getting too long, so sorry if it seemed kind of strange.

I need to make a special thanks to Black-Rose-of-Death for all of her support! Thank you! Check out her story also! "Love Affair". It is good!


	8. Chapter 8 Escape

Disclaimer: I do not own Yu-Gi-Oh.

As she walked home, she thought about all the times she would be in the Pharaoh's presence among a hundred or more supporters, but his deep, violet eyes always made their way over to her. She would always immediately look down out of embarrassment, but would stare at him as soon as he looked away. Had he always known who she was?

She walked through the door back home to find her mother and father both sitting at the table. It was still covered in the dishes of food from the night before. She was a little apprehensive about continuing into the house, but she knew what she had to do.

"Where have you been?!," her mother yelled when she saw her come through the door, "Everyone has been looking for you. How could you do such a thing? Kaiba was grateful enough to ask you to marry him, and this is how you thank him?"

"I will not marry him," she simply stated, "I've found someone else. We may have something Kaiba and I could never have. I am leaving to stay with him." She simply stared at her mother. She was not going to let her force her into marrying him. She felt something collide with the side of her face. Her father had hit her. She was shocked. He had never raised a hand to her.

"Do you really think we are going to let you throw away Kaiba for some street rat?," he seethed, "This is an honor too great for us to pass up. Whether you like it or not you are going to marry Kaiba."

"No, I won't," she said as she clutched her cheek. It was growing hot from where he hit her. "He is not a street rat. He is greater than all of you _and_ Kaiba together."

"And just who is this wonderful man?," her father mocked her.

"Pharaoh Yami," she spat.

They started to laugh. "Do you really think we would believe that the Pharaoh would be interested in someone with your name? He knows we are among his greatest enemies. Stop your lies, and get ready to be fitted for the ceremony," he said shrugging off the comment. She frowned at him. He had a point. Why would the Pharaoh treat her so well, if she came from these traitors?

"Yes, listen to your father," another man's voice said. She leapt back to see Kaiba behind her, "You should stop this charade. We are going to be married tomorrow night, and that will be the end of this," he grabbed her shoulders and pulled her toward him, "Do you hear?"

"Are you so determined to marry me just because I deny you?," she asked him not backing down, "It must hurt your pride then, that I prefer someone _over_ you." She knew saying that was risky, but she could not help herself.

There was a flash of anger his eyes. He slapped her hard across the face. She looked back at her parents. They had their backs turned to them. She was hurt and angry. That was the final blow her family was to make toward her. She was finished. Kaiba dragged her into the living room, and forced her up onto a pedestal where seamstresses surrounded her.

"I'll be back for you," he said as he left the room.

She felt hands grab at her as the women changed her into a thin, white gown. It went around her shoulders, and had faint filigrees of gold on the fabric. They all immediately went to work on fitting it perfectly on her. She looked into a mirror. To another's eye she may have looked stunning, but she could only see Kaiba standing in her way, and making her life hell. Her mother came in after they had finished, and laid a cloth over half her face to where only her eyes were exposed. She was dressed as she would be at the ceremony.

"You will stay with Kaiba tonight," her mother said as she straightened the dress. She gave her mother a look of horror, "You will do it, and I will hear nothing more about this. You are Kaiba's now, and you will listen to him and obey him."

"I thought you of all people would understand," she replied, "but I see you are just as blinded as my father."

"Don't you dare talk about your father that way," her mother snapped at her, "He is a good friend of Kaiba's, and he is giving you away to the best possible person."

"The _best_ possible person?!," she was outraged at this, "He tried to choke me last night! He hit me today! How can he be the best person?!"

"Don't blame Kaiba for your mistakes," she replied. Her mother had scarred her with that comment. She kept her mouth shut after that, not letting her mother have a conversation with her any longer. She told her to take off the dress, and wait for Kaiba. The seamstresses took the dress and hung it with great care. Kaiba came into the room.

"Are you ready?," he asked not really caring if she was or not, "Let's go."

He pulled her outside to see his overdone chariot outside the door. She hated the thing. He would ride through town in it in his superior air. It made him look even more arrogant than he did by himself. He pushed her inside, then sat down and motioned for the driver to move on. She looked back at her house. Even though her family had betrayed her, she felt sick to see it shrink in the distance. He pulled her in closer to him, and kept his arm around her so she had no way of retracting from him. He stroked her cheek and her lips. She was shaking and felt sick to her stomach. She could not let him touch her, but how could she escape? Not only did she fear his power, but also the power he wielded from his millennium rod.

They arrived at Kaiba's vast mansion. He led her upstairs, and showed her a room where she could change. She knew she must go along with him until the best moment to escape. She stood looking out the window. She thought of Yami, and wondered if he was already waiting for her. She pictured him holding out his hand, inviting her to fall into his deep violet eyes. As she was daydreaming, she felt a set of arms wrap around her. Kaiba had entered. He leaned in close to her. She felt his lips gliding up her neck. Was she going to be able to hold him off? She knew she needed him to fall asleep before she could get away. He turned her toward him, and kissed her. She felt sick letting him to this to her, but if she wanted to escape without him knowing, what else could she do? He held her close, and led her to the bedroom. He leaned her against him, and slowly let his fingertips glide up and down her inner thigh. She shuddered at his touch. He grabbed her face and turned it towards him.

"Shudder, do you?," he said with his eyes on fire, "What if I took you right now? What if I did it when you were not expecting it? What would you do then?" He licked the nape of her neck, then kissed her hard. She wondered if her lips would be bruised. "Do not worry," he said laughing. He let go of her and turned to lie on his side, "I will not desecrate our union. Now get some sleep, I want you looking your best tomorrow."

She heaved a sigh of relief. She could not believe how she got off that so easily. She started to shake as she laid her head in her hand. He was so close to ruining her. She was so close to being disgraced. She did not know if her knees would be able to support her, but then an image of Yami came to her. She felt strength go through her. She knew all she had to do was wait for Kaiba to fall asleep.

There was thunder and lightning outside. She could hear the surging rain pouring from the sky. She leaned over Kaiba. He was not flinching from the lightning flashing in his eyes. She slowly got up from the bed and made her way out the door. There were servants all over the mansion. She knew she would have to find an alternate route out. She went to the next door on her right. She found herself in another bedroom. There was a balcony outside. She ran out to see that it was not that far down. She tied together as much fabric as she could find in the room. After the bed, curtains, tablecloth, and other things had been stripped from the room, she tied one end to the banister of the balcony. She climbed over the edge and slowly made her way to the ground. The rain poured on her like an icy shower. The wind whipped through it making it sting her face. She made her way around the front of the mansion, but she spotted quite a few people hanging around the entrance. If she tried to get through the front gates, they would spot her instantly. She turned back, and examined the high walls surrounding his land. She spotted a tree that she just might be able to use.

She approached the tree looking at how high it grew. This was the perfect means of escape. She climbed up the trunk and balanced as best as she could on the branches. The wind was blowing hard, and threatened to throw her from her perch. She slowly inched her way down the branch trying to make it to the other side of the wall. There was a flash of lightning and she saw what was on the other side. There was a violent river rushing dangerously below. She would have to lower herself carefully on the small amount of sod between the river and the wall. As she prepared to lower herself down to the sod, a large gust of wind made her feet slide off of the slick bark of the tree. She managed to grab onto the branch as she fell. It was hard to maintain her grip on the slick, wet branch. She started to swing herself toward the small amount of earth below. She let go hoping she would land on it. She felt her feet hit the ground. Just as she was about to rejoice of her narrow escape of the raging river, the soil beneath her gave way and she was engulfed in the murderous waters.

She fought to stay above the surface. The currents threw her around violently. If for any reason, all her years of training to build her strength and stamina would be vital to her now. With every amount of energy she could muster, she fought against the crashing mounds of water, and slowly made her way to the bank. She pulled herself out of the water, and fell onto the earth. She struggled to catch her breath as she looked up to see where she was. The river had carried her half a mile away from Kaiba's mansion. Her heart leapt. She was that much closer to the Pharaoh. She slowly pulled herself from the ground. The rain still poured as hard as it had when she left Kaiba. She did not have much energy left after her struggle in the violent waters. She needed to find a way back to Yami. She just hoped that he was still there waiting for her.

"Please be there, Yami," she said as she made her way toward the city, "You are my only hope now."

The wind blew icy sheets of rain on her. She was shaking from the cold, but she would not let herself be weak when she needed her strength the most. She was finally coming up on the street that she had met Yami. She felt a burst of energy as she thought of him. She finally made it to the bench where he found her the first time they met. It was empty. She looked around trying to see through the rain. No one was there. She felt her heart sink. She should have known. She should have been able to see that someone as important as the Pharaoh would not wait forever for someone common as her.

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	9. Chapter 9 Fight: Ateyda vs Lamasse

Disclaimer: I do not own Yu-Gi-Oh.

"Damn it!," she said as she punched the side of the building next to her. It left a large dent in the stucco, "How could I be so stupid? I should have known it was too good to be true."

"You made it!," she heard an all too welcome voice behind her, "I was hoping nothing had happened to you."

She flung herself around to see a cloaked man approach her. The light threw his handsome features into sharp relief. His glowing violet eyes beckoned her to him.

He took off his cloak to wrap it around her. She was shaking from being soaked from the rain. Her onyx colored hair clung to her, and he removed the pieces that hung in her face. She saw that he had his normal attire on that she was used to seeing when she was visiting the palace with supporters. She saw the gold adorning his bare chest, and she yearned to reach out and touch his soft flesh. "Come on, let's get out of this rain," he said directing her toward the palace."

"Your cloak?," she asked, "But if any of the rouges see you without protection. . ."

"Do not worry," he said stopping her mid-sentence, "Your need is greater than mine." She knew the Pharaoh was powerful, but she did not know how low the rouges would go to kill him.

They arrived at the palace, and the guards seemed surprised to see the Pharaoh walking out in the open without protection. They ran out, and guarded him as he made his way to the front gates. He nodded to them as he led Ateyda into the palace.

She looked around to see his home looking as magnificent as it always had, even in the midst of the storm. Every torch was lit, making all of the golden walls glisten in greeting them. "I will show you where you will be staying," he said as he led her up a set of magnificent steps. She had never been to any part of the palace except the main chamber where all his supporters would meet at least once a month to see him. Every time she went she was in awe to be in his presence. He had power radiating off of him that everyone could feel. He gave them hope that the dark powers would be defeated. He was now helping her personally. She was going to be able to stay under the same roof as the powerful Pharaoh.

They came to a doorway, and he led her in. She was met by the most beautiful sight. A vast, beautifully decorated room stood before her. She had never seen such riches spent on a single room. He saw the look on her face and smiled, "You are my guest, and I always give my best. Any needs or requests you have my servants will be more than happy to fulfill. I will leave you with the chambermaids. You look like you have had a rough night. Sleep well, and I will see you in the morning."

"One question before you go," she said as she turned from the breath-taking room, "How long were you out there waiting for me?"

He stopped, taken aback with this question, "Physically, a few hours, but my heart never left that place from our first meeting." She could not help, but let a smile creep its way onto her face as she watched him close the door behind him.

The chambermaids made her a bath, and laid out some bedclothes for her. As she lowered herself into the steaming water, she felt all her aches and pains slowly ebb out of her body. Just a few hours ago, she had been fighting for her life in a surging river, and now she was relaxing in a bath of hot, soothing water in the palace of the Pharaoh. She felt her heart race when she thought about how defined his chest was, and how his deep voice resonated through her body like an electric charge. She found herself hoping that he felt something special toward her as well.

She finished the bath, and went back into the bedroom. She changed into the bedclothes and laid down on the bed. She felt herself almost instantly drift off to sleep, and her dreams were filled with violet eyes and a soft, deep voice.

The next morning she awoke early. She walked out onto the balcony outside her room to watch the sun rise. She felt it was a symbol of a new hope in her life beginning. The view was incredible. The sun danced around the dunes miles ahead, and lit up the town in beautiful morning light. She watched as the town slowly woke up, and the people started going about their daily routines. It was beautiful up there, and she never wanted it to end. As she was watching the people scurry about, she saw something fairly odd. She saw groups of men scouring the city. What were they doing? She then saw the reason. Kaiba's chariot was at her house. He was looking for her. She saw him charging up the streets with a tow of people in his wake. From what she could see, he was livid. It was a twist of fate, that when he was closer to the palace, he looked up and saw her standing on the balcony. Her heart started to race. What would he do now that he knew where she was? She could tell that he was furious that what she said at her house was all true. She was staying with the Pharaoh. He stood there staring up at her, and suddenly she heard his voice yelling up at her.

"What kind of stunt do you think you are pulling?," his face alone was terrifying, "Don't think I am going to let this slip by! And you Pharaoh. . .," He pointed up at her. She turned to see Yami looking down at Kaiba, "She is mine, Pharaoh! I will retrieve her one way or another!" He gripped the millennium rod around his neck, then motioned for the groups to retreat.

"Is that the man you were talking about?," Yami asked her as they watched Kaiba leave in his horrid chariot.

"Yes," she said, "I am sorry to have brought this upon you. I know he is already your greatest enemy, but I did not want to bring any more of his hate upon you. I'm sorry."

"It is not your fault," he said putting his hand on her shoulder. She felt her cheeks grow hot, "We have a common enemy, and it is him that brings this hate, not you. Come, let's rid ourselves of this, and I will show you the palace." She followed him as he showed her his vast estate. Every room was big enough to devour half of her village. They spent most of the day touring his home. There were so many rooms and wonderful things to see, she wondered if she would even be able to see it all in the same day. He then stopped at the last door. "I saved this for last," he said with a small smile, "I think you will enjoy this." When he opened the door, he revealed an entire training arena. Every sort of weapon and equipment she could possibly think of was at her fingertips. She entered the room, and viewed each piece of weaponry that was available for use. She had never seen such a wonderful sight, excluding the Pharaoh of course. He watched as she marveled at the room. He wanted to see her fight.

"You may use this at anytime," he said as she examined a weapon more closely, "I am giving you full reign to use this room in any way you see fit."

"Why?," she said turning to him, "Do not think that I am ungrateful. This is all too wonderful to believe, but I do not understand. Why me? You know I come from the house of Layland. You know they are among your worst enemies, so why are you doing so much for me?"

He held out his hand, "Come then, I will tell you." He led her out to the most beautiful garden she had ever seen. Every type of rare and exotic flower was growing in lush mounds all around them. They sat down on a bench. The pinks and purples of the sunset were caressing his beautiful features, and made him even more attractive if it was even possible. "I understand about your confusion. I do know about your family, but did you also not think I would not know about you?," he finally said after a few moments.

"What do you mean?," she asked. She did not understand what he meant by 'knowing about her.'

"I have seen you at the palace before among my supporters. I have watched you fighting those who oppose me in tournaments. You fought them with much more malice than any others," he said smiling.

"How would you notice me among all of the people that were in the palace?," she asked still not understanding what was right in front of her, "At those meetings there had to be hundreds of people, and I have never entered any tournaments large enough to catch attention; especially not the attention of the Pharaoh."

"I have always noticed you no matter where it may have been," he said looking over at her. She was surprised he could not see her heart leaping out of her throat. Did he mean what she thought he meant? She looked into his eyes searching for the answer. He leaned toward her. His hand felt up her shoulder to her face. He pulled her to him, and kissed her. She wrapped her arms around him, and felt his soft, warm lips against hers. This was sudden, but it felt right. She felt him pull her into him bringing her deeper into the kiss. She felt his thundering heart beat through his chest, and every nerve in her body was on fire. Much to her dismay, they pulled apart. He stroked her burning lips, and she never wanted to leave his side again. "It's getting late," he said in his deep, silky voice, "we had better get some sleep. I have some things planned for tomorrow." They went to their separate bedrooms, and dressed for bed. She slid herself between the sheets and fell asleep happier than she could ever remember.

The next morning she awoke to being nudged by one of the chambermaids. "Miss, the Pharaoh requests your presence. You are to be dressed in your combat apparel," she said as she pointed to the clothes lying on a chair across the room. They looked just like the ones she wore to tournaments.

"Why does he want me in those?," she asked the maid who was pulling the sheets off of her and readying her things.

"I do not know what he has in mind, I just carry the message," she said, "You are to meet him in the arena." With that she left. Ateyda walked over to the chair and examined the clothes. They looked just like what she usually wore, but these were much more expensive and finely made. These were made of soft, silver colored cloth. It was air light; perfect for movement. The top was piece of cloth that wrapped around her chest, and had small, thin straps. The bottom almost like a short skirt but was cut along the sides. She dressed in them, and made her way down to the arena.

When she got there, she saw Yami sitting in a chair overlooking the arena where there was a large, beastly man standing in the middle of it. Yami immediately stood at seeing her come in. "Welcome," he said motioning for her to approach the arena, "I understand from watching you compete in those lower tournaments that you do not challenge yourself, so I have found a suitable rival for you."

"Why do you want me to fight?," she asked him.

"I know you love this sport," he said looking deep into her, "I can see it in your eyes, and I also see you do not hold confidence in your ability. If you did then you would have moved on from those smaller tournaments and entered the games. I want to show you what you are capable of."

"Your majesty," said the man standing in the arena, "I do not wish to question your wisdom, but I do not wish to fight a woman. I will hurt her if I truly fight her." Anger flashed in Ateyda's eyes. She did not think she could take on someone as large as him, but she did not like the fact that he flaunted this so casually.

Yami saw her reaction and smiled, "I think you will be surprised. You will have to trust me on this," he then turned to Ateyda, "He is the best fighter in my guard. I know you can defeat him. I have faith in you."

She saw a table of weapons for her to choose from. She saw the guard grab for a particularly sharp, heavy weapon. Was he trying to intimidate her? "Bastard," she quietly whispered. She knew then she must defeat him. Not only was it for Yami, for she wanted to prove herself to him, but she wanted to show this prick that he should never underestimate those who are smaller than him; especially those of the opposite sex. She grabbed a staff off of the table. It was her favorite. It was the first weapon she learned to wield.

She walked out into the ring. The guard gave her a nasty grin. It was the moment of truth. If she really was as good as everyone said she was, she would be able to defeat him. They walked slow circles around the ring, both waiting for the first attack. She saw a glint in his eyes, and he attacked. He came at her and swung at her with the massive weapon he had chosen. She leapt underneath his attack and slammed the rod on the back of his head as he went by. She saw his strategy, and now that he was fighting her, his greatest asset was to be his greatest weakness. When he was fighting men, his awesome size could easily tame them, but now that his opponent was a woman the tables were turned. She could easily dart around his slow, powerful attacks, and hit him with her quick, sharp ones. As he was realizing he had past her, he turned around. She took advantage of his body trying to turn against the momentum he had just built. She flipped the rod under his feet and he fell forward. She leaped into the air, and rammed her knee into his chest as her rod came slamming down on his head. He cried out, but quickly lifted up which made her fly through the air. She put out her hands and turned her fall into a somersault. She landed on her feet crouching close to the ground. Her eyes were sharp and awaiting his next movement. He came at her again attempting to slam the weapon on top of her. She quickly slid between his legs, and kicked him up into the air. Quick as a flash she got up and kicked his falling form so that when he came crashing down to the ground he slid five feet along the arena floor, and then went head first into the wall as his body flipped over itself.

She stood down on one knee panting, but smiling over her victory. Yami had shown her what her true abilities were. She felt ready to enter the games. They were a series of tournaments that were highly anticipated every year. She had never entered them, because she feared her failure. Yami knew it, and she would have to thank him for showing her that she was worthy of them.

She heard clapping, "That was marvelous!," Yami said as he came to her side and helped her up, "Never have I seen anyone fight him like that. You are a true fighter."

"Thank you," she said as she laid down her staff, "I hope I did not cause too much damage." She pointed to Yami's fallen guard and the massive hole in the wall where his head had hit.

"Do not worry about it," he said smiling, "Watching you fight is the greatest thrill I could ever ask for. I have never seen anyone fight with as much heart as you do." She blushed at all the compliments, and looked at the ground. "I must go, but I wish for you to join me tonight," he said as he started to leave the room.

"If that is your wish," she said bowing her head to him.

"Then I shall see you tonight in the main chamber," he said and left the room.

She went back to her room, and changed. Most of her normal wear consisted of a simple white robe. For tonight, however, she thought she might check to see what was in the wardrobe across the room. She opened it to find the most beautiful garments she had ever seen. She heard someone come up behind her.

"May I make a suggestion?," it was the chamber maid she had talked to earlier, "Wear the blue one. It would look wonderful on you."

Ateyda smiled at her, "What is your name?"

"I am Lorena," she replied getting the blue garment from the closet, and setting it up on the bed, "I have been head maid for twenty years in the palace, but just recently Yami has assigned me to care for you."

"Oh," she said in reply to this statement. She did not want someone waiting on her hand and foot. She could do things on her own, and did not like the thought of having someone who was of no lower class than her to be waiting upon her, "Well, I really don't need a maid, but I could use a woman to talk to."

Lorena stopped in her tracks seeming to be astonished that someone wanted her for her knowledge and not her services. She smiled and nodded. "What is it that you wanted to talk about?," she asked Ateyda.

"Well, I have always talked with my mother about things happening day to day," she began, "but recently she did something horrible, and I feel lost not being able to talk to her. I do not wish to speak to her anymore, but at the same time I have nowhere to vent everything that is going through my head about. . ."

"About what?," Lorena asked.

"The Pharaoh," she replied looking down at the ground at her bravery to say it, "My feelings for him."

Lorena sat down on the bed and motioned for Ateyda to take a seat beside her. "What kind of feelings do you have for him?," she asked.

"I. . .," she began. She did not know if she could get it out, but she needed to tell someone, "I love him. I love him more than I think he even knows."

"Ah, I see," Lorena replied nodding her head. She then took Ateyda's hand and looked into her eyes, "Listen to me very carefully when I tell you this. I am telling you in the strictest of confidence. Do you understand?" Ateyda nodded. What was she going to say? "I have talked to him before about you. He asked about you, and I know when I saw him discuss you. He loves you. I have never seen him have this much passion for someone. Take this information with great care. He is very powerful, but so is his love."

Ateyda thought she would pass out on the spot. She knew the Pharaoh liked her, because of the kiss they shared in the garden, but she did not think he _loved_ her. Something did confuse her, however. "What do you mean 'so is his love?'," she asked

"As you get to know him, you will understand," she said as she stood up and motioned for her to get ready.

"Thank you, Lorena," she said as the door slowly closed.

That night she went toward the door of the main chamber. When she came through the door, she was shocked by hundreds of people sitting at dozens of long tables piled with food. Yami was sitting up at the main table looking as stunning as ever. He was adorned in his gold trappings, and was a breath-taking sight. He saw her and motioned her to him. As she walked toward him she saw an empty seat beside him. When she arrived at his side, he patted the seat for her to sit down. As she did so, he stood up.

The room went silent, and every face turned towards him. "It is my pleasure to start off this ceremony. I have recently met someone who has proven to me again and again that they are worthy of such a title as this," he grabbed Ateyda's hand and lifted her from her seat. A man came up behind them with a thin, silver sword on a velvet pillow. Yami took it and held it out to Ateyda, "With this sword, I christen you as Ateyda, the leader of the guard." She blushed furiously as she took the sword, and bowed to him. Everyone in the crowd cheered. "Let the feast begin," said a man to the left of Yami, and they all sat back down.

Ateyda sat looking at the finely made sword. Yami turned to her, and smiled at the shocked look on her face. "Not only are you the leader of the guard," he said taking her hand, "I hope soon you will accept to be more."

They went through the rest of the meal talking and laughing as if they were merely old friends out for lunch. It was when the final guest had left that Ateyda felt Yami's gaze upon her once again. As they walked up one of the staircases, she kept glancing over at him. She could not keep her eyes from him. Every time she was near him she could feel the power he held. Even being as powerful as he was, he was also beautiful. She felt so drawn to him that she felt sick when they parted to go to their bedrooms. He wished her a good night and made his way to his room. She went to hers, and changed into her bedclothes. She had lain in her bed for a while when she had had enough. If what Lorena had said was true, then she had no reason not to take action.

She made her way quietly down from her bedroom. The palace was dark from the dead of night. She made her way to Yami's door. She pushed it open, and walked inside. He was lying on his back peacefully sleeping. She got onto the bed, and laid next to him. She touched soft, inviting lips. She kissed him, then laid her head on his chest. She felt herself rise and fall with every breath he took. She ran her fingertips along the definitive lines in his bare chest. She then fell asleep right where she always wanted to be.

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	10. Chapter 10 The Guard's Trust

Disclaimer: I do not own Yu-Gi-Oh.

Ateyda woke up to the sun shining in her eyes. She found herself gripping Yami very tightly. She released him, but kept herself laying her head on his chest. She closed her eyes again never wanting that moment to end. She felt him shift, but did not look up at him. She did not know if she had enough courage to look at him. She heard him yawn, and then got the feeling that he spotted her when he gave a sudden jolt. She waited for a few moments, mentally crossing her fingers. It seemed to last for eternity that he did not move. What was he thinking? She then felt him shift again and felt his fingers caress the hand that had been on his chest. She felt electricity go down her spine, and her heart started to race. She then looked up at his sleepy, but ravishing, violet eyes. She felt her face go red, as he looked back at her. He pulled her up to him and kissed her. She wrapped her arms around him wondering if it was too good to be true. They laid, embraced in each other's arms, enveloped in the kiss. The door then flew open, and one of the servants came barging into the room.

"Your majesty, it's Ateyda, she can't be found. Her room. . .," he then stopped catching the sight of Ateyda lying on the Pharaoh. The servant then turned extremely red, and walked out the door mumbling about how he would never enter that room again. Ateyda and Yami looked at each other and burst out laughing.

"It is probably Lorena," she sat up and told Yami still partially laughing, "She probably thought something had happened when she did not see me in my room."

"Is this not your room, now?," Yami asked very seriously. She looked at him not knowing exactly how to answer him. He sat up and pulled her into him. "I have never felt like this with anyone," he told her, "I've never wanted to be with anyone until I met you." She looked into his eyes. He was telling the truth. She could sense it and see it. She pulled herself up toward him, and kissed him. She had never felt so complete with anyone like this before. Every time they kissed it was like it was for the first time. She felt sad when they parted. "I have to go to some meetings this morning, but I believe you have a couple yourself," he said as he got up from the bed.

"I do?," she asked.

"Yes," he replied, "You are leader of the guard now. You have to guide them, watch over their training, and teach them what you know." She nodded and then left to get ready.

When she got to her soon-to-be former room, she found Lorena setting out some attire. It was a uniform that was similar to what some of the guards wore, but much less armor and a lot lighter and smaller. As she put it on, Lorena watched her.

"What?," Ateyda asked her, "Is something wrong?"

"You were with the Pharaoh last night?," she asked.

Ateyda paused, and then said, "Yes, I was."

"How strongly do you feel about him?," Lorena asked her with a smile flickering on her face.

"Oh, I don't know," she answered being coy.

Lorena came up behind her and gave her a light smack on the head, "How strongly do you feel about him?," she asked again. Ateyda was rubbing her head, "Oh, child, I did not hurt you. Do you really feel strongly about him?"

"I told you I did," Ateyda replied. Why was she getting questioned?

"How much so?," she asked.

"I don't know how to answer that," she replied.

"Oh, Ateyda, you know your heart better than you think," Lorena said, "Well, I can't hold you back anymore. You are going to be late. You had better think of an answer for me." Ateyda then walked out of the room giving Lorena curious glances. She made her way down to the arena to meet her team of guards.

They saw her enter the room. She saw a few of them give each other secret looks. They did not stand up and greet her, but they went on doing what they had been before. They had grins on their face, but not the type of grins that would be welcome. If she had to deal with a whole team of sexist guards, just like the one she fought in front of Yami, she was going to have to kick a lot of ass to get her point across.

One of them looked at the others then at her, "I don't mind having a woman in command too much, boys. At least if we get caught up in battle, we can throw her to the rebels as a diversion." They all started laughing at this and Ateyda was furious.

"That is enough!," she screamed, if they wanted to play dirty then she would gladly meet them there, "Alright, if any of you think you are man enough, why don't you prove it? I don't believe any of you spineless, sacks of shit are good enough to be considered the Pharaoh's guard. He would probably be better off if we hired the rebels to protect him."

"I'd watch your mouth, little princess," another said, "You are in a room full of us. There is only one of you. Things may happen. . ."

"Why don't you shut that hole in your face, and prove to me how tough you really are?," she yelled at them, "If you are true men, worthy of protecting the Pharaoh, and honorable enough to be called his guards, then _prove_ yourselves!"

"I have your back, Ateyda," one out of the corner said. He walked up to her. It was the same guard she had fought in front of Yami. "I fought against you, and lost," he said, "You are an honorable opponent, even though I insulted you, you fought me with honor. You are more than worthy of your title as head of this guard."

"Thank you," she said shaking his hand. He stood behind her. The others stared at him in disbelief.

"You are taking her side, Lamasse?," one of them asked.

"I am," he replied, "and you are all foolish and cowardly if you do not realize what a great warrior is in our midst. She defeated me, and she is the choice of our Pharaoh, so if you say she is not worthy, then you are shaming the judgment of our King."

The others looked at each other. They were stunned that the strongest of them all stepped down to a small woman like this? Then one of them came forward. "Lamasse, you are one of my greatest friends, and if I consider you my friend then I must trust you on this," he walked forward and bowed to her, then stood behind her also. Slowly, one by one, each of them came forward, bowed to her, and stood behind her. After the last one was finished, she turned to face them all.

"I have underestimated the heart you all have," she said looking at them with great pride, "I am honored to have such a fine group before me." She then smiled, "But don't think that you still do not have to prove yourselves. I want you to prove to me that you are worthy of bearing the Pharaoh's crest upon your shields and armor. Now, let's start this practice, and prove it!" They all bowed one more time, and paired up to battle each other.

She walked along the lines of men watching them combat. She would stop occasionally to correct a stance or improve a block. It was then she saw that Lamasse was the first to claim victory. She walked forward and congratulated him.

"Very good, Lamasse," she said hitting his shoulder. She walked over to the wall and grabbed a staff from it, "But I want you to show me what you've really got." A large grin spread across his face. He grabbed a staff for himself, and they prepared for battle.

They walked circles around their small area just like they had a few days before, however this time there was not hate between them, but there was an understanding. They were going to test each other, push each other to the limit, and in between have fun. This time Ateyda struck first. She flipped her staff around and brought it down toward his head. He easily blocked it with his forearm, and tried to shove her back with the end of his staff, but she whirled around it to where she was side by side with him, but still facing the opposite direction, and hit the back of his head with the staff. He quickly flipped around and hit her back with his. She fell forward but put her hands out so she easily flung herself to her feet. They stood back in their stances again. Most of the guards had stopped their battles, and crowded around to see the one Ateyda and Lamasse had started.

Lamasse then came running and jumped into the air. While coming at her from above, he swung around to drop kick her. She ducked beneath him, caught his outstretched foot with her staff, and caused him to land face first into the floor. He got up laughing, "Good move!," he complimented, "But you had better watch out for mine!" He came at her like he was going to hit her, but suddenly put his staff underneath her, flung her in the air, and slammed her down to the ground. The other guards could not believe the damage they were not taking with all of this fighting. She got up smiling. "I will have to remember that one," she said, "But I am still standing. Now, come on, take me down if you think you can!"

She threw her staff aside, and then beckoned him on. He smiled and threw his aside also. He came at her and started punching as fast as he could. She easily ducked them all. She punched his stomach making him double over, jumped onto his back, wrapping her legs around his neck, and dragged him to the ground. He gave the signal that he gave up. He kneeled on the ground panting. She held out her hand to help him up. He hit it and said, "I'm down for the count. You are a true opponent." He then got up, and they shook hands. There was applause, and Ateyda and Lamasse realized that they had all been watching. They laughed and bowed to their audience.

She went back upstairs to change. She quickly washed off some of the sweat from fighting and dressed. She came back into her room to find Lorena putting her clothes into folded piles on her bed.

"What are you doing?," she asked her.

"I am getting your things moved," Lorena replied as a few younger maids came in and took some of the clothes, "You are now staying with the Pharaoh are you not?"

Ateyda blushed, "Yes. Yes, I am."

"Have you got an answer for my question?," Lorena asked her.

"Your question?," Ateyda asked. She had completely forgotten.

"Yes, about the Pharaoh," she replied.

"Oh," Ateyda did not know why she wanted to know so badly, "Why do you want to know so badly?"

"I have known the Pharaoh for many, many years," Lorena replied, "I think I know when he, himself, has an interest in someone."

Ateyda smiled at this, "How much so does he feel about me?"

"He loves you, you know that," she replied now being coy, herself.

"Yes, but how much so?," she asked really wanting to know, "I need to know. Does he truly feel that way about me, or is this just his lust? You said that his love was powerful. Did you mean that his lust is so much so it seems like he is really in love?"

"No, you will see later how powerful his love really is, but that cannot happen yet," Lorena told her, "The way you feel about him in your heart, is the way he feels about you. So, how strongly do you feel for him?"

Ateyda sat down on the bed, and looked at the floor, "I. . ."

Lorena sat down beside her, and gave her a hug, "You have kept your heart locked away so tight. It hurts now that someone has touched it so deeply doesn't it?"

Ateyda buried her face in Lorena's shoulder. This was something her mother never would have done for her. "Yes," she cried, "I have never let anyone get this close to me, and I am afraid that if I continue to let him near me I will pay the price, but I love him so much."

Lorena continued to hug her. Ateyda then looked up at her, and asked, "Why do you care so much about my feelings?," she asked, "Why do you care about me at all?"

"Whatever your parents or your family or whoever put awful things in your head, I want you to forget it all. You should feel inferior to no one," she said, "I care about you because you are a good person, and you remind me of a good person I used know."

"Who was that?," she asked curiously.

"My daughter," Lorena replied.

"You _used_ to know her?," Ateyda asked, "What happened to her?"

Lorena's face grew stiff and she replied, "She died many years ago. Her cousin had a feud with a boy around his age. One night, they attacked him. She got in the way to protect him, and they killed her."

"I'm so sorry, Lorena," Ateyda told her, "I can't imagine having to lose someone so close to you."

"You are of stronger heart than you think," Lorena replied, "Even though you think you are going to split in two from grief, you will always pull through. I did."

"Thank you, Lorena," she said as Lorena let go of her, "I feel a lot better."

"You're welcome," she said, "Now, lets get you ready for dinner!"

She dressed in white robes, and Lorena made her pin her hair with a lily. "It's lovely," Lorena said as she straightened the pin, "It contrasts perfectly with you hair."

"Don't you think it is a bit much?," she asked her. Ateyda never liked getting too dressed up. She feared of looking over done, which is exactly how her mother would have made her dress. But then again, when she took a step back, she saw that Lorena knew what she was talking about.

"Now, you are ready," Lorena said, "Go get your man!"

"Lorena!," Ateyda said embarrassed as she left the room. She walked into the main chamber to see Yami waiting for her at the main table. She did not know who all the people were that were there, but she did not feel like questioning one of them.

She sat down, and Yami turned to her. "I heard about the incident at the guard's practice," he said as he grabbed her hand and kissed it, "Well, done."

"Thank you," she replied. The only thing she wanted to do right then was feel his lips on hers. He was so beautiful she did not think she could possibly stand having him so close, but not being able to touch his face or kiss his lips.

"What is it?," he asked seeing that she was staring at him.

"Oh," she replied looking down, "Nothing, I am just daydreaming."

She looked out at the crowd of people in the room at the different tables eating furiously. A few people made her laugh to see them arguing over the last loaf of bread, but then she saw something that made her stop dead. In the middle of one of the tables, she saw three of Kaiba's followers. They had been staring at her, but the moment she spotted them, they looked away.

"Yami," she whispered desperately to him, "There are three of Kaiba's followers here."

He looked over at her with a smile still on his face, "I know. There are always as least two here. They like to keep _watch_ on me."

"Alright," she replied, "If you say so." She looked back over at them. They whispered to each other occasionally looking up at her. Yami may have been completely calm about it, but unsettled her a great deal. What were they doing there? Would they tell Kaiba about seeing her sitting with the Pharaoh? Did they see the Pharaoh kiss her hand?

After they had finished with dinner, the crowd departed out the doors. Ateyda had stayed behind everyone. She wanted to keep a close watch on the three conspirators. They left normally like everyone else, not giving her a hint or clue of anything. She cursed them for coming. They had no business being in the palace. She would have to talk to the guards about them.

She began to climb the staircase to see Yami waiting at the top for her. She smiled and continued her way up. When she reached him, he held out his hand for her. She took it, and he led her to _their_ bedroom.

She went into the lavatory to change. She felt a smile spread on her face as she got an evil idea. She partially opened the door, and peeked through at Yami. She almost burst out laughing thinking about what she was doing. She shrugged it off and went back to the crack in the door. She felt herself going dizzy as she saw his bare back turned toward her. His strong shoulder blades accenting his lean, smooth back. He then turned to walk to the bed. She blushed and shut the door before she saw any more.

Her thoughts went back to the three traitors at dinner. Did Kaiba tell them to go to the palace nightly? Why did Kaiba think he needed to watch the Pharaoh? She walked out of the room, and then out onto the balcony. She wind whipped through her hair and made the curtains fly open as Yami came out. She felt his hand intertwine with hers. She did not change her gaze.

"What is bothering you?," he asked her.

"Nothing," she replied, "I am just clearing my mind. A lot has happened within the past few days."

"Come to bed," he told her as he pulled her face toward him, "You need rest." They went back inside and pulled the covers over themselves. She laid on his chest just as she had the night before. He let his fingertips slide up and down her bare arm. She looked up at him. He leaned down and kissed her. She pulled him on her to pull him deeper in the kiss. They were wrapped in each other's arms involved in the most passionate kiss they had ever experienced. Eventually, they fell asleep in each other's arms both thinking they could never be happier.

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	11. Chapter 11 The Black Wedding

Disclaimer: I do not own Yu-Gi-Oh.

Ateyda awoke lying on her side. It was dark. 'It still must be night,' she thought. She closed her eyes, and then turned over and laid back on Yami. He stroked her cheek, but his hands were not as soft as they usually were. She opened her eyes and looked up to see one of Kaiba's men staring down at her. She flung herself off of him, but he grabbed her arm. He pulled her off the bed. She saw Yami's unconscious form on the floor. They must have hit him when he was asleep, otherwise they never would have stood a chance. As quickly as she could, she twisted herself around so it would twist his arm. He yelled out in pain and let go. She stood waiting for them to try to come at her, but they stood back and smiled. They were not looking at her, but behind her. She felt something hit her head hard, and she fell into black.

Her head pounded with pain. She could not remember what made it hurt like that. She turned to her side to hear the clink of metal. She opened her eyes to see that she was no longer in the palace. She was on a bed, but not one she had ever seen at the palace. She tried to get up to look out the window, but she was held back. There were chains on her wrists and ankles. She pulled and tugged to get them off, but they were on tight. She tried to break the chain itself, but it was too strong. Finally, with all the strength she could muster, she pulled the whole bed with her to the window. She finally got to look out as she was trying to catch her breath. She then let out a gasp as she saw where she was. She looked out at the view from Kaiba's mansion.

The door opened behind her. Kaiba came strolling in. "You thought I would just let you go?," he asked, "Did you really think I was going to let you get away that easily?"

"Why do you not just leave me be!," Ateyda screamed as she tried to break the chains again. Kaiba strode over to her, and threw her on the bed.

He climbed on top of her and said, "You reek of the Pharaoh. Did you warp his mind into loving you? You did, didn't you? You are my wife, not his!"

"I am not your wife," she said trying to shove him off, "I never married you and I never will!"

"We need to rid you of this smell," he said as he unlocked all of her chains. If she had been with anyone else, she could have escaped, but Kaiba had power that scared her. He had a millennium item. What did she have? Some fighting skills and maybe a staff if she could find one. He pulled her from the room, and led her downstairs. He took her to the springs outside. He then threw her in the water. Sputtering and coughing, she came up above the water. She tried to escape by the other side, but his millennium rod glowed and she felt herself being pulled back to him. He got down knee deep in the water, and shoved her underneath. She tried to fight free of his grip, but he held her under. Just when she thought her lungs were going to burst, he pulled her up. She coughed up a bunch of water, and gasped for breath. She felt herself go limp from lack of oxygen.

"I do not ever want to catch you with another man, do you understand me?," Kaiba said as he held her face to his. He picked up her limp form and carried her back to the mansion. He threw her back in the room, chained her, and told her to dry off.

She sat leaning against the bed trying to get her head to stop spinning. She was still trying to catch her breath. How was she going to escape from this place all over again? She took the towels Kaiba threw at her and started to squeeze the water from her hair. What did those three that took her do to Yami? She wondered if he was ok, and she also wondered how they got in. She wondered how they got past her guards. She was furious that Kaiba would not leave her alone.

An hour later she had fully dried, and was now trying to break the chains once again. They were hooked to the bedposts. She wondered if she could break the wood. She stood up on the bed, and with all her strength kicked the post. It splintered and fell apart. She hoped Kaiba did not hear that. The canopy was now hanging on one side. She then went to the next post, then the next. It was at the last post that the canopy completely collapsed on her. It made a horrendous noise. She knew she must work quickly. She pulled herself from beneath the canopy, and pulled open the door. She started to walk out when the chains made loud noises as they dragged the ground. Servants from the floor below looked up at her.

"She's getting away!," one of them cried, "You, go get her! I'll get Master Kaiba."

She ignored the chains. It was too late now. They had already spotted her. She went to the back of the house, and saw the outdoor staircase. She opened the door, and ran as fast as she could down the steps. She came to the edge of the house, and slowly peeked around. She did not see anyone. Just as she was about to turn the corner, her chains yanked her back. She fell to the ground and looked up to see Kaiba standing over her.

"Well, it looks like I am just going to have to chain you to me," he said smiling, "That seems to be the only way to keep you from getting away. He removed the chains from her ankles, but bound the two on her wrists together. He held the other end. She felt sick. She could not run from him now. "Come," he said to her, "We need to get you ready. We are getting married now."

He pulled her back into the house, and into his bedroom. There, hanging in the room, was the same dress they had forced her into the day she ran away to Yami. The same seamstresses forced her into the dress. This time Kaiba did not leave the room. She felt dirty having his eyes on her when she was being forced in the dress. They put the same veil over half her face.

"Good," he said, "It is time to go to the ceremony. Everyone is waiting."

He pulled her outside to his horrid chariot. As they drove away, she felt all her hope fade away. There was no way she was any match for his power, but how could she just let this happen to her? She knew she would not be able to make it back to the Pharaoh. She could not desecrate the Pharaoh and let Kaiba force her into marrying him. It was time to make the choice; Kaiba or death. She had a very heavy decision, but she was too loyal to the Pharaoh to let her fear take her over. She knew which choice she was going to make as they pulled up to the temple. They walked inside. Kaiba led her into a room where her mother was. He shut the door. She turned to her mother.

"You have brought shame on this family, Ateyda," her mother said as she started straightening the dress, and removed the chains, "How could you leave us in turmoil to go to another man? You should be ashamed. I know I am."

"I'm sorry mother," she said, "Not for abandoning the family, but for this." With that she attacked her mom. She held her thumb on a pressure point in her neck, and slowly her mom stopped fighting and passed out. "It is sad you cause me to use desperate measures," she told her unconscious mother on the floor.

She ripped off the veil, and ran up to a window. She opened it, and pulled herself through. There was no way she could get back to the Pharaoh before Kaiba would catch her and make her marry him. She would not allow this. She had to take advantage with this one moment while it was still available. Her only choice was to take her own life. She ran as fast as she could until she found what she was looking for. The cliffs spanned out before her. Her heart started to race as she thought about what she was about to do. She imagined how disgraced the Pharaoh would be if she had given in to Kaiba, and she forced herself forward. She slowly walked to the edge. Tears streamed down her face. She closed her eyes, and stepped forward, "I love you, Yami." She felt herself start to fall when something held her back. She looked down below her to see herself floating. She started to rise back up, someone grabbed her arm, and pulled her back. She turned to see Yami.

"Yami!," she cried. She threw her arms around him.

"Don't ever do that again," he told her.

"I'm sorry," she said with tears in her eyes, "I'm so sorry. I'm so glad you're here. I did not see any other way out. I was not going to let Kaiba do that to us. I was not going to let him disgrace you like that."

He held her face and became very serious. It scared her to see him like that, "Don't ever lose hope. Even when the darkness closes in, remember, the light will save you."

"I'm sorry," she whispered as she pressed her face into his neck.

"I just don't want to lose you," he said, "I could not live without you."

"How did you find me?," she asked.

"I knew what Kaiba had in mind," he replied.

"Get off her, Pharaoh," Kaiba's voice said from behind Yami. Kaiba prepared to attack Yami with his millennium rod, but Yami just crossed his arms and stared at Kaiba. Kaiba backed down knowing that even with a millennium item, it did not match Yami's power. "I will not give up on her, Pharaoh. All of my minions will dethrone you, and then I will rule over Egypt. I will then take my prize." She looked over at Ateyda. She had enough. She walked up to him, and punched him as hard as she could in the face. He flew backward, and hit the ground.

"You're nothing without that rod," she said to him, "If you ever come near us again, rod or no rod I will kill you. Now get out of here." Yami held onto her to hold her back. Kaiba got up, wiped the blood from his nose, and walked away cursing.

"Let's go," Yami said. He led her back to one of the Pharaoh's less arrogant chariots. He had some of the guards with him who were coming from the front of the church.

"Ateyda!," Lamasse called out to her, "There you are! We were wondering about you! Were you going to get married and not invite me?"

Ateyda laughed and shook her head at him. Yami helped her into the chariot, and they took off toward the palace.

Ateyda was all too happy when she saw the insides of the palace again. Lorena came bounding down the stairs. "Ateyda!," she cried, "You're alright! Oh thank Ra!" She ran up to Ateyda and hugged her. Ateyda had never had anyone care that much about her. She was actually worried about her personally. Not like her family, who was worried when she did not show up for a match, not because they were worried that she was hurt, but because they were afraid it was going to make her lose the tournament.

"I'm fine, Lorena," she replied, "I am so glad I get to see this place again."

"You need rest," Lorena said, "You have had a harsh day."

"Seriously," she said resisting to be pulled upstairs away from Yami, "I am ok. I don't need to rest."

"Don't be silly," she said as she hauled her up the staircase. Ateyda looked back at Yami who smiled back at her, shook his head, and then followed.

"I can take it from here," Yami said as he entered the room to see Lorena fussing over Ateyda.

"As you wish, your majesty," she said as she bowed to him and left the room.

Ateyda looked down at the white frock she was forced into. She looked at it in disgust, but when she looked back up, she saw Yami smiling at her. "What?," she asked, "I can't wait to get out of this stupid thing!" She struggled to find the hook or button or whatever it was keeping the thing on. Yami came up to her and stopped her.

"You look wonderful," he said.

"Thank you," she replied, "But I hate this thing."

Yami turned her and unhooked the dress. It exposed her bare shoulders and back. She turned around and blushed. She went into the lavatory and took it off. She changed into her normal, white robes. When she came back out, Yami was sitting on the bed.

"I thought I was going to lose you today," he said staring off, "When I came to, I saw that you were gone. I knew exactly who took you. I knew he wouldn't hurt you enough to kill you, but when I saw you on the edge of that cliff. . ."

She ran over to him, and sat down next to him. "I'm sorry," she held his face and kissed him, "I'm sorry. I just. . . I couldn't disgrace you like that. Please, Yami, I'm so sorry." He pulled her over on his lap, and they held each other.

"You would have killed yourself," Yami said, "Than marry someone else?"

"If that was the only way out," she replied, "Then yes."

"Do you love me?," he asked her, "Do you _truly_ love me?"

She looked into his eyes, "I love you more than anyone I have ever known. Why do you think I went to that cliff?" He then kissed her. They fell back on the bed drawn into the kiss. Every time he kissed her she felt like her lips were on fire. She had never wanted anyone that much before. They laid there for what seemed like hours entwined in each other, sharing that soft, intimate kiss. Yami pulled back, and stared at her very seriously.

"What?," she asked as she ran her fingers along his lips.

"Would you ever wear a dress like that for me?," Yami asked her.

"What?," she replied. Was he asking what she thought he was?

"Would you marry me?," Yami asked staring directly into her.

She was shocked. She knew that this was a whirlwind romance, but she never expected him to feel that seriously about her, but she knew how she felt about him. "Of course, I would," she said, "I love you more than anything."

"Marry me, then," he said, "Please, I want to share my life with you."

She could not think of anything that could make her any happier at that moment. She held him tighter and said, "Of course I will."

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	12. Chapter 12 The War on the Palace

Disclaimer: I do not own Yu-Gi-Oh.

The next morning Ateyda was bounding through the palace the happiest she could ever remember. She first went to the arena looking for Lamasse. She found him practicing some moves on another guard.

"What ho, Ateyda!," he said stopping and waving, "Good news! We have recruited five more guards! They are being trained as we speak." He pointed to another guard going over some standard defenses.

"Wonderful, but that is not why I am here to speak to you, Lamasse," she said and pulled him over to the corner of the room, "I must tell you of some news."

"Some racy bit of morning gossip, perhaps?," he said nudging her.

"I bet you would like that, now wouldn't you?," she replied, "Especially if it has anything to do with you and that new, young chamber maid Lorena hired."

"You know me all too well," he said bowing, "But tell me now of your news."

"You must keep this in secrecy," she said getting serious, "I trust you being my friend with this information. Yami and I will be married." He instantly picked her up and whirled her around calling out his congratulations. "Shoosh!," she said as he finally put her down, "We wish to keep this information within people we trust. We do not want word to get out, because we do not want Kaiba and his supporters ruining the wedding."

"You have my word," he said, "Who else knows about this?"

"Only you and a few of Yami's closest advisors," she replied, "But I am going to tell Lorena if I can find her."

"Well, then one last word of congratulations," he said hugging her, "And I wish you the best."

"Thank you, Lamasse," she said as she left in search of Lorena.

She searched the palace high and low without a trace of her. She stopped one of the maids to ask if she knew where Lorena went.

"She said she had to run to the village market quickly this morning," the girl replied, "But now that I think about it, I have not seen her back yet."

"Thank you," Ateyda replied as she quickened her pace. She started to feel worry course through her. What could have happened to her? Just as she was about to check Lorena's room once more she heard shouting from outside of the palace front doors. She ran to the staircase to see a couple of her guards carrying Lorena's lifeless form in the door.

"Lorena!," she screamed and ran to her as fast as she could. The guards took her into the library where there was a couch they could lay her on. Ateyda knelt beside her. There was a large wound in her abdomen. "Lorena?," she said turning Lorena's face toward her, "Say something."

She opened her eyes, and looked at Ateyda. "I went to find you a gift," she said to Ateyda, "Yami told me of the news, and I wished to buy you an early wedding gift." She handed Ateyda a hairpin beautifully crafted to look like a white lily. "They always look lovely in your hair. I wanted you to wear it to the wedding, but as I made my way back to the palace I was attacked," she said.

"By who?," Ateyda pleaded, "Who did this to you?"

"Kaiba," she replied, "He knew I worked in the palace. He told me to send you a message. He told me 'Watch for sunset for the battle will begin.' Ateyda, do you remember when I told you about my daughter being killed?"

"Yes," she said through tears, "I remember."

"The boy who killed her all those years ago was Kaiba," she told her, "I want Kaiba to face justice, but you must promise me that you won't put yourself in danger. Don't go after him yourself. Promise me."

Ateyda was shaking from her grief and tears, "I can't. I want Kaiba to pay. I can't promise that, but I will promise that he will not go unpunished."

"Please," Lorena said as she started to breath harder, "Don't put yourself in danger."

"I won't be hurt," Ateyda replied, "I won't let it happen to me or Yami. Kaiba will face death if I have to chase him through hell." She did not know if Lorena heard her last words, because her breathing had stopped. Ateyda pressed her face in Lorena's shoulders and cried harder than she ever had before. Lorena was the only woman who ever showed her any love, and now because of Kaiba's hate and greed she was gone.

The guards lifted Ateyda to her feet, and pulled her from the room to take care of Lorena's body. She fell to the ground where she stood. She sat with her hands on her face letting the tears drip into the open wound on her heart.

"Ateyda?," she heard Yami's deep, soothing voice beside her, "What's wrong? What happened?" The guards brought out Lorena's body wrapped in a white cloth. Yami turned back to Ateyda, and knelt beside her. "Who was that?," he asked her, "What happened?"

Ateyda suddenly stopped crying and looked up. "Watch for sunset for the battle will begin," she repeated what she heard Lorena tell her. Her distant stare soon turned into a deadly glare that scared Yami.

"Lamasse!," she cried out and went in search.

"Ateyda," Yami said holding her back, "What is going on?"

"Kaiba killed Lorena," she said, "Because of the stupid grudge he holds against us. He told her a fight is coming at sunset. I will meet him, and slaughter him. Lamasse!" Lamasse came bounding out of the arena.

"What is it?," he asked taken aback by the fury that was ingrained on her face.

"Kaiba has threatened an attack," she said quickly, "Get the guards together. We will plan our battle."

"Ateyda, please," Yami said, "Let them take care of this. . ."

Ateyda turned on him, "I won't let Kaiba get away with this. You believed I could hold this position. I will now prove it."

Yami grabbed her and turned her to him, "I do not want to lose you," he said very seriously, "Not when we are about to start our lives together."

"I will not let Kaiba attack this palace," she said, "Do not worry for me, for I will not give up until Kaiba pays." With that, she left Yami watching after with worry in his eyes.

"What is your plan?," Lamasse asked Ateyda as all the guards formed a circle around a table in the arena.

"We need to break up into teams," she told them, "Kaiba is coming into our territory. We can use this to our advantage. I want teams of at least three in every designated area. We are not going to be open targets for them. We will use the object of surprise on them. Now listen closely, this is what I want you to do. . ."

The sun started to set on the horizon. Two guards were in front of the gates to the palace, sitting down, looking extremely bored. There were few sounds coming from the palace itself. All was quiet except for the sound of approaching feet. The guards stood up looking out to see what the sound was and where it was coming from.

"What the hell?," one of them said as at least two hundred men stalked up toward the palace with Kaiba leading them. Kaiba stopped ten yards from them.

"Holy shit!," the other guard said as they struggled to open the gates and slid inside. Shouts were echoing over the walls as they heard the two guards warning everyone of the posing treat.

"Ha! They are not prepared," Kaiba said, "That old woman must have died before she sent my message." He started to laugh, "Even better! They are weak!"

The gates slowly opened. Ateyda stood alone in the middle of the path that led to the palace doors. She flung out the sword that Yami had presented to her when he named her head of the guard. She went into a stance and waited for them to come.

"Remember my rules, men," Kaiba told them, "Kill as many as you want in the palace, but leave the Pharaoh to me and do _not_ kill Ateyda." He started to laugh again, "Ateyda! Do you really think that you alone are a match for all we have set against you? Now, my faithful warriors, attack!"

The men furled around Kaiba like a raging waterfall as they charged toward Aida and the palace. She stood ready, but when they had surrounded her she screamed, "Now! Attack!"

Out of every conceivable shadow guards came pouring out. The guards then surrounded the traitors. There were a few moments of shock as the traitors realized that they were indeed prepared for their attack, but then the battle broke loose. One of the men came at Ateyda. He swung his sword at her, but she could tell he was pulling back. Kaiba told them they could not kill her. That was a fatal mistake. She knocked his sword away from her and shoved hers into his chest. She pulled it back and looked for her next victim. There was a small window through the traitors to the guards fighting on the other side. She grabbed the fallen traitor's sword, and ran through the space between the rebels while slicing them on both sides as she held out both swords. She got to her guards on the other side.

"Don't stop until they are all dead!," she called out to them. She started to approach where Kaiba had been, but he was gone. Where did he go?

Yami, meanwhile sat in his bedchamber. Ateyda had ordered two guards to stand at the door and refuse to let him go down to the battle. He sat listening to the chaos ensuing outside cursing Ateyda for locking him in there.

"At last Pharaoh," a voice said behind him, "It is just you and I."

Yami turned to see Kaiba walking into the room from the balcony. Yami started to perform the mind crush when Kaiba held up his hand.

"I would not do that if I were you," he told him making Yami pause, "If you would like Ateyda to live, then you should surrender the throne to me. I have men waiting with her. If I do not come down within five minutes, I have ordered them to kill her."

"Why are you doing this?," Yami asked him.

"I want you dead!," he replied, "You don't deserve to reign as Pharaoh and you stole Ateyda from me. I will claim your throne, and take her back! Now stand down!"

Yami merely crossed his arms and grinned back at Kaiba. "Did you not hear me, Pharaoh?!," Kaiba screamed, "I said she will die if you do not stand down!" Yami continued to smile. "I would remove that smile from your. . .," he stopped as he felt cold metal touch his neck. He slowly turned his head to see Ateyda standing beside him with her sword ready to strike. The hate and malice in her eyes was all most too harsh to look at.

"You dare to attack the Pharaoh?," she said, "You have already taken Lorena from me. Do you really think I would let you take him?"

"I do not fear you, Ateyda," Kaiba said, "I know it is you who fear me."

"I may fear the power of your millennium item," she told him, "But I for one am _not_ afraid of _you_. Now, should I take your life now, or should I let my faithful guards torture your worthless hide?" Ateyda lowered her sword, but kept it aimed straight at him. She turned to the door to call for the guards outside it, but Kaiba took advantage of this moment. He threw something at the Pharaoh that exploded on contact and surrounded him with smoke. Ateyda looked to see the Pharaoh collapsed on the floor, and Kaiba approaching her. He knocked the sword from her hand, grabbed her around the neck, and lifted her off her feet.

"You dare bring your sword on me?," he said as she struggled to pull free from him, "I will have to teach you respect."

"I am no longer afraid of you!," she choked out and kicked him in the stomach. He fell backward. She ran to grab her sword, but she felt her body freeze. She could not move, but she could see the light coming from Kaiba's millennium rod. "No!," she cried as he flung her over his shoulder. He started to walk back to the balcony when she elbowed him in the head. She had broken his millennium spell. "I am no longer afraid!," she screamed. Just as he turned to face her, she jumped in the air and kicked him. He flipped over the railing and fell toward the ground.

She slowly walked to the edge, and looked over the side. He had disappeared. "No!," she screamed, "You will not get away from me!" She ran back into the room and grabbed her sword. She ran as fast as she could through the palace to the front doors. She saw the guards struggling to keep the traitors from entering. She screamed out and charged into the sea of bodies. She flung her body around like a rag doll as she ducked and dodged attacks. She plunged her sword into every rebel body she could see. As she helped clear the doorway, she looked to her right to see Lamasse struggling with five of the traitors by himself. He fell to the ground, and one of them waved off the others.

They started to retreat back to the main fight when Ateyda quickly swept past them with her sword slicing along their stomachs. She then turned toward Lamasse. He was looking up at his attacker, but had no energy to lift his sword.

"If you value your life, then you will stop!," she screamed at the man advancing on him. He turned, and she let out a gasp of shock. She met her father's face.

"You have descended into damnation, Ateyda," he said, "For your treachery you will pay the price. Does this dog mean something to you? Are you in love with him, too? Are you going to abandon your family for him, also?!" He turned strike Lamasse's fallen form, when a sharp pain cut in his hand that held his sword. Ateyda had assaulted him.

"Leave him alone," she said, "This battle is not yours to win."

"I will not stand here, and let them win," he replied. He inched his way back toward Lamasse to fetch his sword.

She then advanced on him. "Please, father," she pleaded, "Do not make me do this." He backed up from her sword but lunged for the ground. Lamasse watched helplessly as Ateyda and her father clashed body and sword, and heard her scream.

Ateyda fell to her knees and watched her father's lifeless body fall to the ground. She felt hot tears stream down her face. His hate and ignorance had forced her to kill him; her own father. She crawled forward to Lamasse.

"Are you all right, Lamasse?," she asked him.

"I will be fine," he replied. He could not believe the justice she had done him. He was about to be killed, and she chose his life over her father's.

She called over one of the guards. "Protect him," she said, "I must finish this."

She ran back to the see of bodies. She could tell by merely glancing around that her men outnumbered them three to one. This battle was almost over. She ran through the fighting soldiers searching for Kaiba. Where was he? She had been through the whole crowd without seeing one trace of him.

"Kaiba!," she called out, "You coward! I am here! I'm ready for you! Now come out and fight with honor!" Kaiba never appeared. She hung her head. 'I'm sorry, Lorena,' she thought, 'He got away, but I will not let him cause anymore pain.' She looked back to see her men finishing off the last of the rebels that had not retreated with Kaiba.

She walked forward to view the casualties. Both sides lost a lot of men, but they were victorious and Kaiba now knew he could not force his way into the palace.

"What shall we do with the dead?," one of the guards asked her.

"For our men, we shall send our regards to the families, and ask their wishes for bodies. I will speak to the Pharaoh about some sort of compensation," she replied then turned to one of the closest rebel dead, "As for them, make them a shallow grave, then burn it."

She motioned for a few guards that were carrying Lamasse on their shoulders to follow her. They entered the palace to see Yami walking down the staircase.

"Ateyda," one of the guards was carrying in a body, "What do you wish us to do with him?" She walked over to see her father's body. Yami came up behind her. He looked over at Ateyda with sympathy.

"Burn it with the others," she said and turned sharply to go with Lamasse to the infirmary. Yami was shocked. What happened out there?

"Ateyda?," the guard questioned, "Are you sure?"

"You heard my answer," she said, "Burn it." She continued her way with the two other guards towing Lamasse behind her.

Ateyda and Yami sat beside Lamasse when they had settled him into a bed. "I want to thank you, Ateyda," he told her, "I can't imagine what it took to make the decision you had to."

"What are you talking about, Lamasse?," she asked.

"When you chose to sacrifice your father in sake of saving me," he replied. Yami stared in shock.

"I had to," she told him, "I had no other choice."

"Thank you," he said as he gripped her hand.

She smiled and squeezed his hand back. "I will leave you now to rest," she said getting up and walking toward the door, "Get some sleep, I want you ready to challenge me again soon."

He smiled back and they said their goodbyes. She made her way up the staircase to her room. She sat on the bed and hung her head. She was exhausted from battle and all the emotions that had run through her. She laid her bloodstained sword on the floor beside her. She stared at the weapon that had taken her father's life. She did not know what to feel any longer. She felt someone's arms wrap around her. Yami had been standing there watching her.

"You made the right decision," he told her, "Do not regret it." She pressed her face into his shoulder and let her tears flow into him.

"I know," she replied, "But that does not make this any easier. How could I have let Kaiba get away?"

"There was nothing you could have done," Yami said, "Kaiba is quick to elude."

"He has to pay, Yami," she said, "I cannot let him get away with Lorena's death. He is such a coward."

"We will catch up to him in the end," he told her, "Do not worry, but next time let's do it together."

She laughed, "I had you locked in so you would not try to fight. You have more power than anyone I know, but you should leave the fighting to me." He laughed, and continued to hold her against him. Her exhaustion finally overcame her and she passed out in his arms.

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	13. Chapter 13 A Man Long Forgotten

Disclaimer: I do not own Yu-Gi-Oh.

Ateyda kept waking up through the night, and then through the day as she kept sleeping. She would have pulled herself out of bed, but she was so exhausted that she could barely lift her head. She had dreams all night about Lorena. She kept seeing her being killed by Kaiba over and over again. She would wake up in a cold sweat, but would then see Yami's sleeping form beside her. It calmed her, but it did not take away the pain of Lorena's death. It was around mid-afternoon that Ateyda finally rose from the bed, and started to walk out into the palace. She decided to stretch out her limbs, and took a walk out to the garden. She was letting the sun warm her skin when two of the palace servants came to her.

"We've been hoping that you would wake soon," the man said, "We have been preparing for the ceremony, and we need to have you fitted."

"Ceremony?," she asked him, "Fitted? What are you talking about?"

He leaned in close to her ear, "The wedding, miss."

She blushed, "Oh, right. Well, I couldn't figure it out with you disguising it so much."

"We are on strict orders from the Pharaoh," the woman piped up, "We are to keep this a private matter."

"Yes, I know," she replied, "I agree, but you can let your guard down a little, and relax." She put her hand on his shoulder so he would stop hunching them, but the woman grabbed her arm and started tugging her back into the palace.

She carted her into a small room with mirrors set up. They put her up on a pedestal when Ateyda said, "Well, I did not think I would actually be doing this willingly." They brought out a white gown that faint gold trimming. 'Much better,' she thought, 'Simplicity is exactly what I want.'

She put it on, and the seamstresses began to fit it to her. She gazed into a mirror and watched as the minutes passed the dress started formed around her perfectly. When they had finished, they had tried to put another veil on her.

"No," she said pushing it away, "I do not think so. I have had enough of those." She walked over to a pillow they had set out, and picked up the white lily hairpin. Her eyes started to mist as one of the women pinned it up in her hair. She forced a smile through her sadness. Lorena would not be able to see this day. She walked up to one of the mirrors to get a full view of the dress. She glanced up near her shoulder to see two violet eyes gazing at her.

"I knew you were beautiful," he told her as he pulled her into him, "But I did not know how much you still had locked away."

She blushed and leaned back into him. Was it possible for her life to be going this well? She had lost Lorena, but she was going to marry the Pharaoh! She turned around and let her lips meet his. She had wanted to kiss him for a while. Every time she looked at him, she felt his soft, warm lips calling out to her.

They pulled apart, and Yami said, "I have to attend to some matters in the main chamber, but I will come to see you as soon as I am finished."

"Very well," she said in a fake pout as she laid her forehead against his shoulder. She let her fingertips graze up and down his chest letting them soak in his perfection. With one last kiss, he left her for the main chamber. She took off the dress, and made her way to the infirmary.

She walked through the doors to see some of her men being cared for. They looked up and greeted her. They did the best they could to salute, bow, or any other sign of respect they could manage from their injuries and being in bed. She bowed her head to them and made her way into the center of the room.

"I want to thank you all, my faithful guard," she said looking from man to man, "You served the Pharaoh well. I could not have asked for a better team of warriors. The courage and heart you showed yesterday was nothing like I had ever seen. I am deeply proud of you all."

They all bowed their heads back at her as she made her way to Lamasse's bedside. He smiled at her and tried to look like he was perfectly fine and did not have any wounds bothering him. "Good morning, Ateyda," he said propping himself up.

"Good morning, Lamasse," she said as she brought up a chair from nearby, "How are you this day? Are your injuries lessening?"

"Injuries?," he laughed, "I have had worse from rookie fighters."

"Well, I see the battle did nothing to damage your pride," she said smiling.

"Never," he replied, "As long as I draw breathe, the battle is on."

"Alright, Lamasse," she said pushing his rising form back onto the bed, "Calm yourself. You need to relax and let your wounds heal even if you do not want to acknowledge them."

"You have the heart and determination of a warrior," he said leaning back into the pillows, "Yet you still look after us in a mother's eyes. You are not going soft, are you?" An evil smile spread across his face at these words.

She playfully slapped his arm, "Alright, that's enough of that," she said pretending to be angry, "We will see how motherly I am when I knock you around the arena."

"Is that so?," he said raising an eyebrow, "We shall see. You had better be practicing. When I get out of this bed, I will be ready and waiting."

"Very well," she smiled, "I will see you then." She got up, bid her goodbyes, and walked out the door.

She walked to the arena to find it deserted. She picked up a staff, and started practicing. Before she knew it, she had begun to use all of her strength into a full practice session and was putting her heart into it. She felt all of her emotions flow out of her. With every hit she made, she imagined Kaiba taking its blow.

"You've improved since I last saw you," a voice said behind her. She turned to see a man with night black hair, and piercing moon colored eyes. His hair carelessly fell into his eyes, and he was extremely attractive.

"It can't be," she said staring at the man before her.

"It is so," he said, "It is good to see you again, sister."

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I know this chapter is short, but this was a kind of a fluff chapter to set up for chapter 14. Chapter 14 should be going up soon! Review Please!


	14. Chapter 14 Mito's Departure

Diclaimer: I do not own Yu-Gi-Oh.

"Mito?," she asked, "Mito, it can't be you. You are supposed to be with the crusades."

"I am back, now," he said approaching her, "I left the crusades. I was no longer happy trying to turn barbarians into saints."

"How did you find me?," she asked still trying to assure her mind what her eyes were seeing.

"Of course, the first place I went was home," he explained, "I was so excited to see you again, but father was thankfully gone. Mother was frantic. She had not been able to find him. She told me about the war Kaiba had raged on the palace. She then told me about you. Where you had gone, and how Kaiba had tried to force you to marry him. I spoke against her. I was furious that they had gone against my little sister's wishes. It was then that I said something I probably should not have."

"What?," she asked him.

He put his head down in shame, "I told her that our father was probably dead, and maybe it was for the best. Now at least he would not be chastising the family name by associating himself with vermin. She cursed me, and sent me from the house. I then came here in search of you."

"It has been five years since I have seen you," she said slowly, "You just left me that day. Why did you not take me with you? Everything was fine, then without warning you pack up and leave. I have never truly healed from that day. You ripped a piece of me away with you that I have never gotten back. It has been five long years. How do I know that you are still the same Mito I remember?"

He walked up to her and said, "You are going to have to trust me on that one. I know we have been separated for too long, but you must hold faith in me for I never forgot the sister I left behind. I am sorry for any pain that I caused you, but you must understand that I could not have taken a such a young girl to where I was going."

"I am not weak, Mito," she spat back, "You above all should know that. How am I supposed to forgive you, and just invite you back into my life out of the clear blue?"

"I am truly sorry, Ateyda," he said putting his hand on her shoulder, but she pulled away, "Please, Ateyda, I do not know how else to make it up to you. I know it was hard for you. I sometimes regret what I did. I ran away from my problems instead of facing them head on. I sometimes wonder what would have happened had I stood up against father, and taken you to live somewhere else with me. You must understand, though, that is in the past. What is done cannot be undone. All I have left to say is that I am sorry for any of my mistakes that have affected you. You are all I have left, and even though you may not accept me right away, I will not give up, because you are my sister and are everything to me."

She felt her frown soften. She looked into his eyes to see if he truly meant what he was saying. She slowly walked forward, and embraced him in a hug.

He hugged her back and said, "I have missed you so. You have grown so much since I last saw you."

She pulled away, and looked down at the ground. "There is something you need to know," she said, "I have done something you may see as condemnable, but you must hear me out first."

"Ateyda," he said pulling her face up, "I could not shun you away."

"You should listen to me before you say such a thing," she said, "In the battle, father was going to kill one of my best men while he was down. I told him to spare him, but he would not listen. He still charged at him, and. . . I. . ." He pulled away, and took a step back. "Please, Mito," she begged him, "I am sorry, but I had to. I could not let him."

"I am not upset about that," he said looking back at her, "I am upset that you were ever forced to make a decision like that. Father was worse than I expected."

"He changed after you left," she told him, "He wanted to pretend you did not exist. He was angry that you left the family just as he was angry when I left. I sometimes think he wanted us all to stay to bring the credit of our victories upon him."

"I should have known he would take it that far," he said. He walked up and hugged her again, "I'm sorry I left you with such a man."

"Ateyda?," a deep voice came from the doorway. Ateyda opened her eyes to see Yami staring at them in confusion. She saw a flash of jealousy as he looked over at Mito, but that quickly changed as he turned around to face Yami. Mito and Ateyda looked terribly similar.

"Yami," she said pulling Mito forward to the Pharaoh, "This is my brother, Mitonen."

"Brother?," he asked looking Mito up and down.

Mito bowed down, "It is an honor to be in your presence, your majesty."

Yami smiled, "There is no need for such pleasantries. If you are who Ateyda says you are, then you are family now." Mito got up and returned Yami's smile.

"Mito was in the crusades," Ateyda explained, "He has finally returned."

"I hope he will then oblige to stay with us in the palace," Yami said.

"It would be an honor," Mito answered bowing his head once more. Yami motioned forward a few palace servants to show Mito to his room. Yami then took Ateyda's hand and led her out into the gardens.

"I have summoned family to come to the wedding," he told her as they walked the paths through the exotic flowers and beautiful trees, "I am glad some of yours will be able to attend. They should be here within the next week."

"So the wedding will be at the week's end?," she asked him.

"Yes," he replied, "Of course, it will only be family that will attend. Even most of the palace's staff does not know of it. It is not that I do not trust them. It is that I do not trust those around them. I know Kaiba is still keeping a close watch despite his loss. I will not let him disturb us that day."

"I have spoken to Lamasse about this," she said, "I know he will have every guard on duty."

"That is good," he said, "Kaiba will pay soon, but I do not want to dwell on him. Tell me more about this brother of yours."

"Well, he is my only sibling," she started. She did not know how to exactly explain everything to him, but she would do her best. She continued, "He was the first born. Father always wanted to teach him how to fight and be a winner, but Mito never liked fighting. He was very calm and peaceful. Father was not always kind to Mito. He was angry that he would not put his heart into fighting. When I came along, he gave up on him and started teaching me. I, of course, have always loved it. Mito was always protective of me, but he hated how my father looked at him. My father saw him as a disappointment, and he often saw him as lower than me. It was when the crusades were leaving the country to try and teach peace to the barbarians, that he told father he was sick of him shunning his own flesh and blood. He then left, and I have not seen him until today. I did not think I would ever see him again. I figured the memory of our father would drive him out forever."

"Does he know about your father?," Yami asked.

"Yes," she answered, "I told him. I was afraid he would hate me for it. I know my father and he had their quarrel, but it was still his father. He said he understood, but I do not know if that is his true feelings."

"I'm sure it is," Yami said trying to put her at ease, "He has experienced your father's cruelty. I am sure he understands the situation that he forced you into that day."

"I hope so," she said watching the path pass under her feet, "I am so glad he is back, but all of this had been too much too fast. Kaiba, the battle, Mito, and though I want it more than anything, the pressures of our marriage is all coming down so fast. I feel like I'm going to split in two at any given moment."

She had her hands on her face to try and drown out some of the sun that was giving her a headache. Though, she thought it probably had less to do with it than anything. Yami stopped and pulled her into him.

"I know that a lot has happened within the last few weeks," he said as he let his fingertips glide across her cheek, "But I promise you that I will help you through anything that you need help with. You are trying to take on too many burdens. I know you are very independent, but there is nothing wrong with asking for help when you need it."

"I know," she said reluctantly. She hated depending on someone else. She felt that if she did, she was a burden upon them. She would watch the other women in her village constantly barrade the men for help with something they could do perfectly well on their own. They would try to act meek, and it made her cringe at them. They were weak and she could see it. She was always different, though. It always seemed when her and her brother were children, that their personalities should have been switched. She was always the daring tomboy while her brother was reserved and gentle. She then thought back on the day he left.

She was about fifteen, and was outside challenging the neighboring boys to a fighting match. Her brother came home from morning errands and took her to the side to speak with her.

"Ateyda," he began, "I need you to go to a friend's house for a while. Can you do that for me?"

"Why?," she asked him, but then saw the look in his eyes, "Mito, what is going on?"

"No questions," he said, "Ateyda I need to tell you something, but if I tell you, you must promise to then go to a friend's house. Ok?"

"Mito," she replied, "What are you talking about? Why are you acting so strangely?"

"Promise me," he said more forcefully.

"Alright," she said rubbing her arm where he gripped her a little too tightly, "I promise. Now what is it?"

"Our family is about to come forth against the Pharaoh with Seto Kaiba," he told her, "You know of the society that there have been rumors of. It is an alliance that Kaiba and our family have formed. I will not stand for this. I must make a stand. I just want you to know that even if I may not physically be here, I love you. I just want you to promise me that you will get out of here as soon as you can. Do you understand?"

She stared at him in disbelief. Their family make an alliance with Seto Kaiba? Seto was her brother's age, merely seventeen, so why would her family make an alliance with him? Why would her family rebel against the Pharaoh? "What do you mean if you are not here physically?," she asked him, "What are you going to do, Mito?"

"No more questions," he said, "Now, go. Don't stick around." He turned, and went into the house. She did not wish to go against his wishes, but she was not going to run away and not see what was going to happen to her brother. She went to a window on the side of the house and watched her brother approach their father.

"Father. . ." he began.

"Not now, Mitonen," he interrupted, "I have more important things to do than listen to your ramblings."

"No, father. I have something to say and you will listen," Mito said sternly. Ateyda was shocked and scared. Mito had never talked to their father or anyone else for that matter that way.

"Don't raise your voice to me," their father replied.

"I will say this," he replied, "I know about this treachery you are planning with Seto Kaiba. I will have none of it. The Pharaoh may be young, but he is wise just as his father was. I will not be any part of your rebellion. I am sick of you shunning me. I will not take any of this anymore!"

"How dare you!," his father spat, "You come into this house talking to me like that! I am the head of this family, and you should be thanking me on bended knee for even keeping you here! I have provided a roof over your head, and food in your belly! As head of this family, I say that you will be every part of this just as your sister will."

"Do not bring her into your hate," Mito seethed, "You may have taught her to fight, but ever since the day you first taught her to hit I have taught her about understanding. I have instilled in her the ability to think for herself and be independent. She does not have the same hate as you, because I have taught her to see past your lies and become a loving, caring person. That is something you could never hope to become!"

"You brainwashed my child?!," he screamed, "You filled her head with your soft nonsense! I should have known better than to let you even live under the same roof as her!"

"There is no brainwashing in telling her the truth!," he told his father, "Brainwashing is filling her head with _your_ lies. You threatened to poison her, but I stopped that! It is a shame that she is forced to live people like you and mother. I know now, what my purpose of being born from you two was. It was to save her from your hate and malice. It was to keep her from descending down to your level! I am grieved everyday that I think my sister is exposed to a treacherous disease like you!"

"How dare you say such a thing!," he yelled at Mito, "Mitonen Layland! You talk of treachery, and you denounce your own roots! No son of mine would ever talk to me that way!"

"Maybe that is because you no longer have a son!," he screamed back. He then turned and walked out the door.

"You deceitful ingrate!," his father yelled at his retreating back, "If you want to shun this family, then we shall shun you back. You should never come back! You never existed! This is for the better you know! You were a thorn in my side since the day you were born!"

Mito ignored all the threats and insults. He mounted his horse, and started to ride away. Ateyda ran after him. "Please! Mito! Stop!," she screamed after him, "Mito! Don't leave! Mito! Stop!" He never once turned around or looked back. He just kept going. She kept trying to run after him, but soon he out paced her and he was shrinking in the distance. He left her standing in his settling dust with tears streaming down her face.

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	15. Chapter 15 The Royal Wedding

Ok, little explanation. I know what the Pharaoh's real name is, and all the stuff with memory world and everything, but when I first started writing this story, I didn't. So something will be like the original story, but other stuff won't. I am NOT rewriting the story of Yu-Gi-Oh. That is the magic of Fan Fic. Anyway, for the review earlier, Mitonen is on the Pharaoh's side, that is one of the reasons he left home. When him and his father were fighting, he was talking about his treachery. He was talking about his father supporting Kaiba, but even though he is with the Pharaoh, he is much like Ateyda and wishes that it would just stop and does not want anything to do with a war, and then the thing about Kaiba and the millennium rod or key. When I first wrote this, I saw the episode of ygo where Seto had the millennium key around his neck. It was after I already wrote that chapter, and posted it, that I read in the manga he had the millennium rod. I changed it as of November 5, 2004, because it bugged me. So I hope that doesn't confuse anyone. Ok, I think that is all I had to say.

Disclaimer: I do not own Yu-Gi-Oh.

The rest of the week Ateyda was busy with the wedding. Though the servants were the ones doing the physical work, they asked her opinion down to every minor detail. After all the exhausting planning and preparing, the day of the wedding finally arrived. Ateyda was in a room getting ready. She had on her dress, and was having one of the seamstresses fix her hair in the lily hairpin Lorena had given her. She examined herself in the mirror making sure everything was perfect for Yami, when she heard the door behind her open. Her brother came into the room. A smile slowly spread across his face. She turned around to let him get a full view, and she did a meek smile back.

"You look beautiful," he said as he pulled her into a hug, "I am so happy for you, Ateyda. I could not have asked anymore for you. You do know that with this marriage, it is a large step in this war."

"What are you talking about?," she asked him.

"You are a daughter from the house of Layland," he explained, "Our family is known to be most outspoken against the Pharaoh. With you and he wed, you will bring together ties that none of the people of this kingdom would have thought possible. It will show those who have not chosen sides, that even those under influence of Seto still choose the path with the Pharaoh. You and I will prove that. We have both come a good way from our parents. They are blinded by Kaiba's greed and malice. We will show everyone."

"I see," she said quietly, "Then all the better. I am tired of this stupid war. Maybe this will help put a stop to it. I just hope that it does not add fuel to the fire."

"Do not worry," he said, "This is a happy day, not one to being worrying on such bleak tidings. The Pharaoh is waiting outside for you."

She walked out the door to see Yami standing just outside with his back to the door. He turned, and his face fell. She stopped for a moment wondering if he did not like what he saw, but the smile returned to his face, and he said, "Every time I see you, you seem even more beautiful than before." She smiled, and he took her hand. He led her to a doorway just off the main chamber. He cracked it open just a bit so she could see inside. She saw everything was decorated in white and gold. There were many people standing in the chamber awaiting the ceremony to begin. He pulled her in front of the door and pointed into the room. "You can meet my family. That over there is the Amanuka family from the south. They are of distant relation, but love to say they have strong ties with the royal sector of our family. That group to the right is from the other line of descent, they are the Dynics from the north. They come to family gatherings, but they do not acknowledge anyone as superior to them. The last group over there is my much closer relatives. Some of the closest are my cousins, Akida and her sister Ren. They are from the more prestigious side of the family." He closed the door and turned to her. She had a look of shock on her face.

"You have a very large family," she said in a monotone voice. The hall was filled with people, and he said that only his family was attending.

He laughed, "Well, you will find when you are in a high position such as I am, that they tend to come from the woodwork." She laughed.

"What does your family think of all of this?," she asked him, "Normally marriages are arranged. Are they angry about this?"

"I do not care what they think," he told her very seriously, "I have no doubt in my mind you and I are meant for each other. I could not imagine myself with anyone else. They will accept this marriage whether they think it is right or not." She gave him a nod. He opened the door a crack once again and said, "I think it is about time. Are you ready?"

She felt her stomach leap into her throat, but she nodded. Everything seemed to slow down. He opened the door to see all of the guests turn their heads toward them. They all bowed as Yami and Ateyda came into the room. Her brother was at the very front stealing glances at them. She felt like time was creeping as she made her way toward the thrones. One of Yami's priests was waiting for them. She felt her head start to spin. She was really nervous. She wanted this more than anything, but she had never taken a large step like this in her life before. They stood before the priest as he started the ceremony. She could barely hear what he was saying as her head was still spinning and she felt dizzy. She would look over at Yami occasionally wondering if he felt the same as her. She could not believe what was happening. After all she had gone through in past few weeks, it ended as splendidly as this. She could not imagine anyone she would rather be with. Her eyes trailed from the golden crown on his head, to his defined, bare chest. He was the most beautiful thing she had ever seen, and the most important thing was that he loved her back. She smiled stuck in her own world. She realized she was staring when she heard a snort come from her brother. Her head snapped back at him, and his eyes shot back to the priest, but she could see the corners of his mouth twitching. She smiled, but turned her attention back on the priest as well. She watched him talk and his lips seemed to barely mouth the words that were coming from him. She finally felt herself becoming a little more stable, when the one priestess came up with a crown on a pillow. Yami picked it up and walked over to Ateyda. She knelt as he put it on her head. She could not believe that the whole time she had planned the wedding, she never thought about this aspect of the marriage. Could she really take the position of queen? They both turned, hand in hand, toward the crowd of people in front of them. They backed up to the thrones, Ateyda worried that she might collapse before she got there, and they sat down to cheering. Ateyda felt something strange creep under her skin. She looked over at Yami to see if he noticed a strange feeling coming over him. He just smiled at her. She tried to smile back, but something was not right. Her head started to pound as the guests clapping bore into her head. Her heartbeat was pounding in her skull and it threatened to burst. She felt short of breath, and her lungs felt as if they were about collapse. With every struggled breath she took, she felt her lungs seizing up and becoming tighter. She felt like every nerve in her body was on fire as if someone had taken a torch along her skin. A soft touch felt like razor blades cutting into her.

"Ateyda," Yami said, "Are you ok?"

She smiled again as best as she could, "I'm fine."

The priest finished his testimony, as she struggled to catch her breath and praying for the attack to subside. She could not figure out what was going on, but she had to put on the best face possible. The people bowed once more. Ateyda and Yami then walked forward to greet the crowd of people.

As she started to walk forward, it all started to subside. Her entire body tingled as if a small electric charge was going through her. She sighed relief as she realized it was over. Yami pulled her forward as they threw the traditional green seeds on them. Mito came up and hugged her tight. She felt her eyes start to mist up, but quickly pushed the tears back. They parted and he kissed her cheek.

"I'm so happy for you, sister," he said, "I wish all the luck this world can bring."

"Thank you," she replied as she felt Yami pull her in the opposite direction.

"Ateyda," he said pulling her to him, "These are my cousins Akida and Ren."

They both bowed their heads, and she returned it. "It is nice to finally meet members of Yami's family."

"You are part of our family now," Akida said.

"Thank you," she replied. She felt Yami tug her in another direction again. This time they were going into the banquet hall. They all sat down to the biggest feast Ateyda had ever seen. She did not eat much, because her stomach was still trying to recuperate from her nerves and that strange attack she had. She heard Yami saying something, so she turned to him, "What was that?," she asked.

"I did not say anything," he replied.

"Oh," she continued back to her plate when she heard Mito talking about the ceremony. She turned to look at him, but even though she could hear him speak, his mouth was not moving. She flung her gaze forward, and shut her eyes. She tried to drive his voice out of her head. What was going on? She then felt a hand grip hers. She opened her eyes to see Yami staring at her looking concerned, but before she could tell him she was fine, she was hit with an image. She felt it coming from Yami himself as if he was shoving an image insider her head. She suddenly found herself walking down one of the halls of the palace. She noticed a few things were different. They were not big changes, but were enough to get her attention. She saw a man she did not know walking toward her. He had the same crown Yami wore. He also had the millennium puzzle around his neck. Who was this man?

"Why are you wearing Yami's puzzle?," she asked him sternly. He had no right to be wearing it.

He passed her not even looking at her, nor acknowledging she was even there. As he continued down the hall, she heard giggling coming from a nearby large vase. She walked over, and leapt back in shock as she peered into its depths. There, crouching down inside, was a child version of Yami.

"Yami?," the man down the hall suddenly turned and called out, "Where are you? I hear you."

The child Yami in the vase laughed even harder, but stifled it well. She sat there, watching the child, disbelieving what she saw. She was looking right at him, but he seemed to be looking straight through her.

"Ateyda?," a voice said as she snapped back to the banquet hall with the adult Yami staring at her, "Ateyda, what is wrong?"

"What?," she asked looking around wondering where the child and the man with the millennium puzzle went.

"Ateyda, what is going on with you?," Yami asked her looking very concerned. With this, her brother turned to her also.

"I think it is all the excitement that has taken a toll on her," Mito said.

"Yes," she confirmed him, "I am fine. I am just tired."

"Alright," Yami said unsure if she was telling him the truth or not. She could see in his face he knew that she was keeping something from him. She hated to do it so early in the marriage, but she herself did not know what was going on, nor did she want to talk about it in front of all the people present.

They finished the banquet, and the guests left one by one. Ateyda bid goodbye to Akida and Ren as the last guests left. Ateyda then let out a sigh of relief as the doors shut. She had been trying to block out extra voices through the entire meal. Was she going crazy? The palace servants were hurriedly cleaning up after the guests and the wedding. Ateyda watched a man walk by her.

"I'm going to have to tell her that she needs to speed things up a bit, or we are never going to get finished with this mess," she heard him say, but his mouth was not moving. His mouth stayed clamped shut the entire time. A woman walked by this time, and Ateyda heard her going over the things she had to do, but yet again her mouth remained motionless. She felt someone come up behind her and embrace her in a hug. She once again felt herself over come by an image being thrust into her mind.

She was out in a field with tents propped up along a riverside. She turned to her right to see her brother come from a tent. He was walking very fast. She started to follow him.

"Mito," she called out to him, "Where are we?"

He did not answer her. He kept going. He continued on to a tent at the end of the row. He paused for a moment, took a breath, and walked inside. She followed. She found herself in a very large tent that was surprisingly bare. There was a man sitting at a table piled with food. He looked up suddenly at Mito with a glare in his eyes.

"What are you doing just barging in here, Mitonen?," the man asked him, "I figured you knew better than that."

"I have heard about some rumors," he said very calmly, "I wanted to take them up with you."

"I understand. Rumors and lies are what will drive us apart," the man said seriously, "Tell me, and we can get this cleared up. We cannot have this floating around."

"Alright," Mito said with a strange look on his face, "I have heard that the villages we have visited have had numerous amounts of money missing soon after we depart. I have also heard rumors of women being held against their will by someone among us. These rumors have been said to come from the doings of one man."

"I don't have time for childish rumors like this," the man replied, "Now go on your way. These rumors are fake, and you should know that. Send word through the men to deny these, and be sure the keep the tent closed on your way out."

"You talked a few minutes ago of taking care of this matter," Mito said very seriously, "Now you are awfully eager for me to leave, but I know why. It is because the rumors I have heard are about you, and you know they are because they are true!"

"Nonsense!," he yelled as he quickly stood up, "Layland, I expected better out of you, but now you challenge your superior with lies like this?"

"They are not lies," Mito replied very calmly. He walked over to a pile of blankets, and pulled them off of what looked like a large, wooden chest. The man started to try and stop Mito, but he quickly threw open the lid. There, inside it, was a large mound of gold.

"I knew it," he said, "You have corrupted our cause. You once told me we are only as strong as we are united. We will not be united much longer now that you have damned everything we came to do. I will make sure the others know about it."

Ateyda felt herself being thrown back to the palace, and Mito was now standing in front of her waving his hand in front of her face. He had a hold of her arm, and was trying to shake her back. She blinked a few times and looked around. She did not know what just happened, but she knew it was much like the vision of Yami as a child.

"Ateyda?," he said staring at her, "Are you in there?"

"I think I just need some rest," she said looking out into the night sky through the window, "It has been an exciting, yet long day."

"Alright, then," he replied still studying her. He gave her one last hug, and made his way to his room.

She slowly walked up the steps. She placed her face in her hands trying to figure out what was going on. It seemed to be triggered by a touch from someone, and then she would receive an image that was almost like a memory about them. If this was all real, and not something her mind was tricking her into believing, then she was seeing images of their memories and their past. When she heard the voices, it must have been their thoughts. Mito was _thinking_ about the ceremony, when she thought she heard him talk about it. There would be only one way to find out if all of this was truly a genuine occurrence, but she did not want to seem like she was losing her mind. There was one person she figured she could trust enough.

"Ateyda, what is going on?," Yami asked seeing that she hid her face in her hands, "Why are you acting so strangely?" She did not answer him. She just took his hand, and led him to their room. When they arrived at their door, she pushed him inside, and then closed the door behind her. She turned and leaned against the door. With her head down, she slowly turned her gaze up at him. He was staring at her with extreme confusion.

"If I ask you something," she began, "will you promise me that you will not I'm crazy?"

"What?," he asked, "What are you talking about?"

"Well," she said looking down at the ground again, "Did you ever hide in the large vases in the palace?"

"What?," he asked again, "A long time ago, when I was kid, I used to hide from my father in them like a game. Why are you asking me this? Did someone tell you this for some purpose?"

"No," she answered. She did not know how she could explain it to him so he could understand. Would he be able to understand? She did not know if she even understood, but if what she saw was correct, then it had to be believable.

"Ateyda, just tell me," Yami told her.

"Fine," she said, "When you gripped my hand at the banquet, I saw an image of a man wearing the millennium puzzle and your crown walking down a corridor of the palace. Then I saw you sitting in one of the vases, but you weren't you. You were a child."

"Has this ever happened before?," he asked her.

"No."

He nodded, and then thought for a moment. "When did you notice this start to happen?"

"I felt something really strange come over me after we sat down on the thrones during the ceremony," she told him, "I don't know what happened."

"It was the ceremony," Yami said with a far off stare like he had just thought of something.

"What?"

"The ceremony," he explained, "When we were married, it was a joining of our souls. So some of my power must have transferred to you." She stared at him in disbelief. Everyone knew the Pharaoh had power that was only rivaled by the Gods themselves, and now some of it had transferred to her? This was too much for her to even comprehend. She had been married, crowned queen, and received some of the Pharaoh's powers all in one day. She simply shook her head, and let herself fall into him wanting to let the stresses of the day melt away in his soft, warm flesh. He hugged her tight, and they both knew that this was the start of a wonderful, yet very interesting life together.

Ok, the whole Akida and Ren thing was a total shout out for those of you wondering where that came from. Review Please!


	16. Chapter 16 Ateyda vs Peynara

Here we are! The tournament games are about to begin!

Disclaimer: I do not own Yu-Gi-Oh.

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Ateyda stood on the balcony watching the morning sun rise over the dunes of sand. It seemed that each grain shimmered like a lake of gold. She felt a light breeze play across her face that was scented with the fragrance of the wild flowers that grew in the garden below. As beautiful as it all was, it did not comfort her. It did not take away the twisting her stomach was subjecting her to. It did not take away the dizziness that plagued her mind. It only reminded her that the day was waking, and that day would bring the first matches of the annual games. There were a few smaller divisions of sport that were played, but the most popular and idolized of them all were the fighting matches. This was where warriors from all over the kingdom would gather to determine who was the best fighter in the land. Sixteen fighters, including Ateyda, had signed up for this year's games. That was more than usual, but it seemed the fact that the queen herself had signed up drew up a few more.

All had been registered and assigned a letter. They were each assigned the letter in the order they registered. The letters were then paired up to determine the matches in the games. The fighters only knew their own letters, and did not know the others. They would not know whom they were going to fight until the first match of the games. All of the matches would be held in the same place; the kingdom's stadium. Most importantly to the majority of the populous, the warrior's finals would be held there on the last day. Ateyda dressed in her usual apparel she wore for combat. It was the same thing she wore when she first fought Lamasse, but she also added the armor that she wore when Kaiba attacked the palace. The armor covered vital areas, but the rest of her body was uncovered to ensure she did not have to sacrifice any of her range of motion. It was silver and light so she could have full use of her speed and agility. She grabbed her staff and walked to the front doors of the palace.

"Your highness, please, let me summon a mode of transportation for you," one of the servants asked her.

"I do not need to be pampered," she said simply as Lamasse and a few other guards joined her side. They all went out the front doors, and headed toward the stadium.

"What letter are you?," Lamasse asked Ateyda.

"You know that is against the rules, Lamasse," Ateyda told him coyly, "Besides I don't hear you telling me your letter."

"Well, like you said, it is against the rules," he said straightening up a little, "I am up against J in the first match."

"Then your letter must be I," she quietly laughed.

"What?," he then realized his mistake, "Damn!. . . Who are you going up against first?"

"I'm not going to fall for that one. You are going to have to try harder than that."

"If you are J, then I want to be prepared," he told her, "You are a true opponent, and I want to be prepared for combat."

"Then pretend it is me you are fighting in every match," she said very seriously now, "For then you will put your every effort into all the matches, and you will be a tough contender to beat. I know your techniques and skills. They are difficult to overcome, but not if you do not put all of your heart into the fight. If you put all of your effort into it, you can win this tournament."

"I understand," he said then smiled, "But I hate to say that there is no way you can win against me! I will fight as you say, and even though you may know my fighting techniques that will not save you from them! I will defeat you."

"I will take you up on that bet," she said, "We are here."

They looked up at the stadium that rose before them. It was not as big as the stadium said to be in Rome, but it suited their games perfectly. Unlike the stadium in Rome, it was completely enclosed except for a few windows to let in light. They walked inside the arena to see several small rings set out for the first matches of the games. The stands were not usually very full for the first matches, but Ateyda looked up at the stands to see them over flowing with people. She turned back toward the arena wondering why there were so many. On the edge of each ring set in the arena, there were markers that had letters on them depicting which fighters were to be matched up.

Ateyda found her letter; A. She was the first to sign up, so she was against B. She waited only for a few moments when she saw a woman step into the ring. She was the only other female that entered the tournament. She had short, spiky red hair that was held back by a black, thin scarf tied around her head. She looked almost too young to be entering the games like she was barely gracing fifteen.

"What luck," she said smiling, "The queen will be taken out of the games in the first match."

"What do you mean by that?," Ateyda replied coldly.

"I know about you," she said still smiling, "I have watched you fight. You have put yourself up against amateurs. My name is Peynara, and I, on the other hand, am a True Champion. You will find it very hard to beat me with your mediocre fighting skills. Not to mention my powerful accomplice." She pulled out her weapon of choice. It was a long, thin sword that had words engraved down to the hilt. It was much like the one Yami had given Ateyda. This one, however, looked like it was made of crystal.

"That sword won't last long," Ateyda said staking the end of her staff into the sand covered floor of the ring.

"This sword may look weak," she said, "But in fact this is not glass. This sword's blade is made of diamond. That pathetic staff is the weapon that will not last long. You chose your weapons poorly, but how could a weak fighter like you know such a thing."

"It will take more than a weapon to make a good fighter," Ateyda said, "You are just a child. You won't last long in this tournament. Especially now that you are against me. Maybe you should be at the sidelines helping one of these fine male fighters instead."

"Enough! Let's begin this!," she said seething.

"We have to wait for the games to officially begin, but not that a little girl like you would know anything about that." Before Peynara could reply several servants came in and were followed by the Pharaoh. He sat down on a throne-like chair that overlooked all of the rings and was directly in front of them all. He had all his jewelry and his crown on. Ateyda almost seemed to lose track of herself taking in his magnificence. He smiled at her a nodded a good luck to her. Seeing him smile made her want to be sitting up there beside him, but she had a goal to accomplish. It would be one she would dedicate to him. She would win the tournament games even if it meant sacrifices would have to be made.

One of the priests officially started the games, and judges came out to watch the matches individually. Ateyda was surprised when she saw her brother come to their ring. He nodded for them to begin. She turned back to Peynara, but she was turned toward the Pharaoh. Ateyda felt anger burn through her veins as she saw the same look in Peynara's eyes as Ateyda had when she looked at the Pharaoh, and it only angered her more as she watched Peynara burn a hole through Yami as she looked him up and down.

'You will be mine,' her lips mouthed.

That was the spark Ateyda needed, "What makes you think you have _any_ entitlement to him?!"

She looked over Ateyda with shock for a moment, not realizing that she had been watching her, "When I defeat you, I will show him what a weak bride he chose, and by winning this tournament, I will lull him into my world."

"What makes you think that you can win his heart?," Ateyda asked her, "You are nothing but a little girl!"

"I will show him that you are nothing!," she said getting angry, "I will defeat you, and he will be ashamed of his dear little queen, and that is when I will take your place."

"I will not let you go any further in this tournament than this match. You made your first mistake thinking you could defeat me, and then you made your second and fatal mistake by thinking you can take my place and my king!," Ateyda said darkly, "You had better being praying to the Gods, little girl. For I will not hold back on you. You will feel my wrath."

"Let's get this going! The sooner I defeat you, the sooner I can reach my goal!" Peynara came at Ateyda and swung the sword across her stomach, but Ateyda leapt back and landed with perfect balance. Peynara then came at her again with an assault from above. Ateyda blocked it with her staff, but the staff broke in two. She had to throw herself to the side before the sword sliced her in half. She threw away one half of the staff and tried to continue with what was left. With every hit that Peynara made, Ateyda's staff was reduced down little by little. She knew that it would not save her, but only hold her back. She threw away what was left, and stood ready for Peynara's next attack. A fighter from another match was suddenly thrown into their ring and came within inches of Peynara's feet. Ateyda instantly took advantage of this. She ran toward Peynara and drop kicked her to the ground. Her sword landed near Ateyda. She picked it up and threw it from the ring.

"You are a good fighter. I'll give you that much," Ateyda said as Peynara got up gasping from the hard blow to her chest, "You want to win Yami over? Then why don't you take me down with your bare hands? I would think that is a much more glorious fight than with a sword against a weaponless opponent, but why am I saying this to you? I bet you do not have the guts to fight without it."

"I am twice the fighter you will ever be with or without weaponry!," Peynara screamed back.

"Then prove it!," Ateyda challenged, "If you win this match, not only will you continue in the finals, but I will give up my position as head of the guard to you. However, if I win, you must become a side-liner for one of these fine men."

"Let's raise the stakes unless you are afraid," Peynara said.

"You have a large mouth," Ateyda teased, "But it has already lead you into trouble. What are your requests?"

"If I win, not only will I take your place as head of the guard, but I also want to be made a priestess. It will bring me that much closer to the Pharaoh."

"I accept your conditions," Ateyda said smiling, "But I must warn you not to bite off more than you can chew."

"I can take whatever you bring to the table," she snapped back.

"Then come and prove to me you deserve to replace me!"

Peynara came at her and attempted to punch her with both fists at once, but Ateyda grabbed her wrists. As soon as she wrapped her fingers around Peynara's wrists, an image was thrust into her head. She was once again reliving a memory of someone else.

"Peynara, how many times have I told you not to slouch when you sit at a table?," Peynara's mother scolded her. She instantly sat up straight. Her parents were always correcting her flaws and the things she did wrong. Ateyda did not know how she knew that, but it was something she just knew was right.

"Peynara, we must speak with you," her father began, "Your mother and I have not told you for years. We did not want news to get out too soon, but it has been arranged for many years."

"What has been arranged?," she asked him curiously.

"You know that at one time, Pharaoh (Yami's dad's name) and I were very close friends," he explained, "Childhood friendship turned into a strong bond between us. One day, we made a pact with each other, that his first-born son and my first-born daughter would one day be wed. Now that his son has taken his place, it is a proper time for that marriage."

"Me?," she gasped, "Marry the Pharaoh? But I am only thirteen."

"I made a pact that day, Peynara. I will honor the memory of my friend by honoring that promise. You do not have any objections marrying him, do you? I know you have always held a fancy for young Yami."

A smile slowly spread across her face. Suddenly, everything around Ateyda went black. She looked around to see nothing. Where was she? Was she still in the memory? Was she back in the fight? She slowly started to see colors and light come back, and she felt herself being thrown into another memory. She was in a cemetery. She walked along looking at all the unfamiliar tombs and crypts. She knew none of these, yet an aching pain struck her deep within her chest. She then spotted Peynara curled up on the ground at the door of a rather large tomb. She was sobbing and Ateyda felt every ache inside Peynara pounding through her veins. Ateyda walked up to her and looked at the name on the tomb. It was Peynara's father.

Once again, blackness engulfed Ateyda. It felt cold. She stood and wondered if the colors would come back or if she would be returned to the fight. Had she lost? Was she just standing there in the real world with no one being able to revive her? Slowly, she saw the form of Peynara appear in front of her. She was returning home. Once again, Ateyda did not know how she knew it, but it seemed as if the general knowledge of the moment transferred from Peynara to herself. She followed her wondering where she would take her. It was raining, and something about where she was and scene of the night. Peynara suddenly stopped. She was looking straight ahead at two figures standing in the rain. One of them removed an item of clothing and wrapped it around the other. Ateyda approached the two people a bit closer, and jumped back as she was looking at Yami and herself. Peynara was there, watching them, the night that Yami had taken her to the palace. She felt anger burning like fire from behind her. She looked back to see Peynara furious at the sight of Yami holding onto Ateyda. Had Yami ever been with Peynara? Somehow, like before, she simply knew he would barely recognize her face.

She felt herself being thrown from Peynara's mind and her body became more solid. Before she could react, Peynara had twisted around and flung Ateyda across her back onto the ground. It seemed that the transfer of memory had been instantaneous. Ateyda had her guard down from the flash of memory that had been thrown into her head, and Peynara had been able to get the better of her. Ateyda, however was not going let Peynara get the better of her for the remainder of the match. She looked up as she saw Peynara jump into the air. She was coming at her like she was going to land her knees right into her chest. Ateyda only had a split second to react. If she waited a second to long, her chest would surely break on impact. The moment Peynara thought that the move would be complete, Ateyda kicked her into the air and across the ring. Peynara's shocked body curled to make her feet flip up and hit her in the back of the head while her face drug in the sandy floor below them. She came to a halt at the other side of the ring, but before she could fully get to her feet, Ateyda knocked her feet from underneath her. Peynara landed on her back, and as she looked up, she saw Ateyda come at her just as Peynara had done. Ateyda was going to land on Peynara standing, however, and this time on her face. Peynara started to scream as she Ateyda landed on her target. Peynara's eyes were closed tight and she was still screaming. She slowly opened her eyes to see Ateyda standing above her with her feet on either side of Peynara's head.

"Empress Ateyda is the winner!," her brother shouted as Ateyda stepped back from Peynara who was still whimpering. Ateyda looked over at him in surprise as she completely forgot he was there. It was strange to hear him call her _Empress_ Ateyda. She heard applause as Lamasse and a few others approach their ring. She looked over at Yami and saw him applauding her as well. She smiled at him and took a bow.

"Peynara, do not forget about our bargain," Ateyda said as she turned to her. Peynara was now sitting with her head down in defeat. Ateyda knelt down in front of her, "I think this will help calm your pride, and it will show you the real pride of a true fighter."

"You know nothing about me or what I need," Peynara spat back.

"I know it is hard that your late father's promise to a friend will go unfulfilled, as are the hopes in your heart," Ateyda told her barely above a whisper, "But that does not make you right over everyone else." Peynara stared at Ateyda in disbelief. Her father had not told anyone just as she had not told anyone about the promise he had made so many years ago. How could she have possibly known about it?

Ateyda stood up rather quickly, "Well, lets find your master, shall we?" She walked straight over to Lamasse. She patted his shoulder, "He should do nicely."

Lamasse winked at her, "Do not worry. I know exactly what to do. Just leave her to me. I will teach her what you have taught me." Ateyda smiled back at him, and then turned toward Yami. He was motioning her toward him. As she reached his side, he sat her down beside him.

"Well done," he said as he squeezed her hand. She looked into his deep, violet eyes and knew exactly why she was going to win the tournament games. It was the pride of her king. She would fight for him, and show him what she was truly made of.

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Review please!


	17. Chapter 17 Ateyda vs Atemun

The next match in the tournament games! This chapter is a little longer than normal, but it is because I have a lot more to say in this section of the story. Enjoy!

Disclaimer: I do not own Yu-Gi-Oh.

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Yami and Ateyda both sat and watched the remaining matches that had not finished yet. Ateyda was a little let down that she did not get to watch Lamasse's match, but she amused herself with the others. She watched very intently on one certain fighter that had extreme skill. It was a wonder that his match had not finished yet, but as she watched further she noticed him only blocking and not throwing a single hit. He was just toying with his opponent. She sat next to Yami absolutely enthralled in the fight. She watched his every move in awe of his skill. She could not keep her eyes off of his movement and techniques. He was an amazing warrior.

She suddenly felt Yami push her dropped jaw back up into its closed position. She blushed a bit realizing she had been staring with her mouth wide open. Yami softly chuckled at her.

"He's quite a fighter," he said softly, "But I know one better." He stroked her cheek and then turned back as the last fight with the amazing warrior finally ended. The man's opponent finally gave up. He wore himself out without a single hit being landed.

"Remaining fighters, prepare yourselves for your next matches," the priest called out, "You will be given ten minutes to get ready for your next match-up!"

Ateyda went to a lavatory right outside the arena. She splashed cold water from a basin on her face. She felt all the pores in her skin contract with the coolness hitting her hot face. She looked into the mirror and viewed herself. Could she make it all the way to the final match? Could she win it? What would she do if she had to go up against a fighter like the one she had just watched? She heard the door to the lavatory open. She watched through the mirror as her brother walked inside. He pulled something from his pocket and put his arms around her neck. She saw a small silver necklace drop from one of his hands. He pulled it around her neck, and then hugged her. It was a small silver circle with a colorful inlay. It was a night sky with dark mountains stretching across the horizon. There were a few stars that dotted the navy blue sky. The silver around the edges etched into the blue in the shape of a moon watching over the serene landscape below.

"It's beautiful," she said staring at it through the mirror, "I don't think I've ever seen anything like it."

"I got this when I was still with the crusades," he said quietly with a look of remorse on his face, "I wanted to give it to you when I returned, but now is much better. Every time I looked at this I thought of you. It did not matter how much I missed this kingdom, or how hard it got out there living off the earth. When I looked at this gift I had bought my beloved sister, I felt you were right beside me telling me that you were there for me. Now I give this to you. I never want you to forget that you have a brother that loves you more than anything in this world."

She turned and hugged him. She had now finally forgiven him in every corner of her heart. He had not completely changed like she thought he had. Her old brother was still in there, and he was still there for her like he had been all those years ago. They heard the door open once again.

"Ateyda," Lamasse popped his head into the lavatory, "It is time for the second matches."

"I'll be right there," she said as her brother and Lamasse both walked back out into the arena. She walked over to a wall in the lavatory, and picked a long, thin staff from it. She twirled and flipped it around to get a sense of its balance. She nodded her head in agreement with herself. That was the staff she would use to win the tournament games.

She walked out into the arena and searched for her letter. She found it, but also found a very large, hideous looking man with striking blonde, closely shorn hair standing in the middle of it. He had tattoos all over his body and several of his teeth were missing. He reeked as if he had not bathed in at least a month. His eyes were very intent on her. He watched her very closely as she entered the ring and stood in front of him. Once again, her brother came to reside over her match.

"This shouldn' las' long," he said, "I wouldn' worry, little princess. I'll make it quick. You won' suffa' long. Too bad the Phara' likes ya' a bit. He's gonna miss you."

"I'd watch the threats," Ateyda said back savagely, "They will only be that much harder on you when I destroy you."

"I don' think so," he said smiling and then looking her up and down. He licked his lips and said, "I'll tear that pretty little body of yours to shreds, but let's make this match a little more interestin'. If I win, I get to have my way with ya'. If you win, you get to have your way with me." He started to laugh heartily while he demeaningly stared her up and down.

"How dare you say that about your queen, Artemun!," Mito screamed. This brought Yami's attention back to their ring. "She may be your opponent, but she is still your queen and you shall not talk of her in such a shameful way!"

"She may be queen," he said sneering back at Mito, "But she won't get my respect as a fighter. She is a woman, and she shouldn't be used for anythin' but a housekeeper and a companion in bed." He reached out stroked her cheek. She recoiled quickly and out of the corner of her eye she saw Yami jump up from his seat. Her brother walked up and smacked his hand away.

"I have not said for this fight to begin yet!," he roared, "So there is no contact with you opponent!" Ateyda could feel the heat of Yami's anger burning from across the arena.

"You disgusting, maggot," she hissed back at him, but then smiled at a thought, "All right, I will agree to your terms on one condition. If I win and 'get my way with you' as you say, then that means you will have to play a penalty game with the Pharaoh." She saw Mito shake his head, but she held up her hand for him to stop. She knew exactly what she was doing.

"Penalty game?," he asked, "No matta', there's no way I can lose against ya', and by the way, I like to be on top. It gives me more authority to do what I want." She thought Mito and Yami were going to storm the ring and take him out, but she turned and glared at them to hold them back. She was going to show this disease of a human being what the real power of a woman was. She was going to show him how mistaken he really was, and she knew if she took him down, there was no worse shame for a sexist pig like him.

"Let's begin this, maggot," she said calmly getting into her stance.

"I'm going to show you where your place is," he said smiling and readying his weapon; a naginata. It was much like hers except that one end had a large blade attached to it. He wielded it with extreme skill, but if he was as confident that he would win as he was acting, then he would not put all his effort into the fight. She would take him down with ease, but she had to make sure she would not commit the same mistake as him, and undermine his skills.

"Ateyda, are you sure you want to go through with this?," Mito asked her, "Give me the word and I will disqualify him."

"I do not need assistance in this fight, Mitonen," she said in a voice of warning. It was rare when she called him by his full name, but now he knew she was serious.

"You should 'ave taken 'im up on that offa'," Artemun said as he too went into a stance, "'Cause I'm gonna wear you out, but tha's ok. You won't fight me in bed then!"

"I'll shut your mouth!," Ateyda yelled as she came at him. He instantly swung the bladed end of his weapon toward her, but she jumped above it and landed one foot on it. She balanced there for just long enough to take a good swing at his head. As he fell back, she flipped in a backwards summersault and landed perfectly in her original position. She flipped her staff behind her back and laughed at his fallen form.

"Don't you think it is kind of hard to fight while on your back?," she jabbed, "But all the better for me. Stay down!" She screamed her last comment while she flipped her staff across his legs to make him fall again as he tried to get up. "You are quite slow. Do you think you will ever get up?"

He pulled himself up, and then came at her screaming, "You stupid little wench!" He tried to knock her down by using his long reach to smash his staff in her stomach. She quickly ducked beneath it and used her staff to jab him back in the stomach. As he doubled over, she kneed him in the face. He flew back from the blow, and she quickly dashed behind him and knocked him hard in the back of his head. He then fell forward and his face was smashed into the sandy floor below.

"When are you going to start fighting?," she asked him in an innocent tone, "I thought the match started already, but I can't really tell with you letting me slap you across this ring and all."

"I'd watch that mouth," he said as he pulled his face out of the sand, "It's going to get you in further than you want to be."

"What was that?," she asked putting her hand to her ear, "I can't really hear you that well with your face smashed in the dirt."

He did not say another word. He flipped around on his back and threw the blade end of his naginata toward her. She blocked it with her staff using one arm.

"You are undermining my skills," she said to him as he got up and grabbed for his weapon, "The only way for you to have a chance at winning this is if you look to me as an equal opponent. If you do not, you have signed away your life."

"No woman is my equal. Queen or not, you are nothin' but the Phara's toy! Did ya' actually think of yerself as his equal? A wife does nothin' but serve her husband in any way he sees fit!"

She ran at him, jammed her staff into the ground, and then flipped backwards kicking his head while she circled around. She landed, grabbed her staff, jabbed him in the face, and then hit him three times by whirling right, left, then right again. It all happened in a split second, and Artemun did not get a moment to react. He fell to the ground with his mouth and nose draining blood.

"Queen Ateyda wins!," Mito shouted. Ateyda smiled and bowed. The sexist prick did not get one hit in, because he did not chose to see her as a worthy rival. In a sense, she pitied his ignorance. She started to make her way over to Yami, but before she could, she felt Artemun attack her from behind. He had the blade from the naginata ripped off and at her throat.

"Put your staff down," he said as she let go of it and let it fall to the ground. Mito started to come at him, but Artemun propped the blade dangerously close to her throat. "I wouldn't take one more step. I won' be made a fool, you stupid bitch."

"Unhand her now!," she heard Yami scream, but that was the last thing she heard as she felt herself being pulled into Artemun's mind, and into a memory.

It was night time, and Ateyda found herself in a backstreet building. She was in a dingy room with barely any light. She saw to her left was Artemun. The door leading further into the building suddenly burst open, and a young man was thrown into the room. He looked like he had been beaten badly. His face looked almost entirely swollen, and he had cuts all over him that were bleeding through his clothes and down his face. She then saw Seto Kaiba himself walk through the door. A few of the men that came in with him, picked up the beaten man, and threw him across a table that was in the middle of the room. They tied down his hands and feet to the legs of the table. Kaiba had a knife in his hand, and was toying with it in front of the bound man.

"I need to know where you loyalty is, Ceremus," Kaiba said mockingly to the man on the table, "You have been my friend for many years, and now you deny me?!" Kaiba slammed the knife down into the table dangerously close to Ceremus's head. He cried out what little he could through his swollen lips. She heard Artemun softly chuckling beside her. Who would think something like this is funny? Throwing treats of a horrid death to an already broken man? She felt sorrow for Ceremus as she viewed his bleeding and weak form.

"We will have to teach you about loyalty," Kaiba toyed with him.

"I was your friend when there was no evil in your heart," Ceremus told him, "You have been corrupted. I will not help you in this stupid charade you are carrying on with."

"Stupid charade?," Kaiba fake laughed through gritted teeth. He grabbed the knife from the table and stabbed it into his shoulder and twisted it. Ceremus cried out in pain. Kaiba then removed the knife and nodded at one of the men who had brought him in. The man took a handful of what looked like a white crystals and rubbed it into the wound. It was salt. Ceremus cried out even more with tears of pain streaming from his face.

"Do you need more of an incentive?," Kaiba asked him, but before another word could be said the door flew open once again. This time a young girl came into the room. She looked no older than Ateyda, and looked oddly familiar.

"Keytara, get yourself out of here!," Ceremus screamed out as best he could.

"Kaiba," she scolded, "How could you do such a thing? He is supposed to be your best friend! Untie him now!"

"What makes you think I am going to listen to you, Keytara?," Kaiba said with hate growing in his eyes, "But I know what I can do with you." The two men behind her grabbed her.

"I know you love your cousin dearly, Ceremus," Kaiba laughed, "Your family has always been your weak point. You have committed a crime against me, and now I shall punish you for your deeds."

"Leave her alone, Kaiba!," he screamed, "Your grudge is with me! She is innocent in this!" Kaiba turned to Artemun and smiled while nodding him on. Ateyda could feel absolute glee come from him. He walked over to Keytara and started to beat on her. Ateyda was furious, and she charged at Artemun to stop him, but she remembered that this was a memory and it was all finished and done with already. She watched helplessly as the poor girl was beaten and the screams of Ceremus filled the room along with hers. The noises and the sight were almost too much to bear. She prayed that this memory would end soon. She wanted to scream in horror as she watched Artemun take advantage of Keytara in her weak and beaten state. She shut her eyes and let tears fall down her cheeks as she knew the girl's last few moments on earth were filled with grief, suffering, and being defiled by a creature like Artemun while her beloved cousin's screaming filled her ears. The last thing she felt was extreme pain and shame. The last thing she saw was Artemun enjoying his time while he abused her, and the last thing she heard were her cousin's cries as he begged it all to go away. Then she suddenly realized how familiar this all was, and it hit her hard as she remembered words that were spoken so long ago.

_"My daughter," Lorena replied._

_"You _used_ to know her?," Ateyda asked, "What happened to her?"_

Lorena's face grew stiff and she replied, "She died many years ago. Her cousin had a feud with a boy around his age. One night, they attacked him. She got in the way to protect him, and they killed her."

She gasped and her chest was filled with sorrow and hatred as she realized that Keytara was Lorena's daughter. She sat in witness of Keytara's death, just as she, in person, had witnessed Lorena's. How could one family have been hit so hard so many times? It all came from one man; Seto Kaiba. She felt herself suddenly become more solid, and the sharp edge of the blade that was cutting a few layers of her skin was back.

"Your majesty, I respect ya' in every way possible, but I won' let this bitch get the best of me. I was hired to do a job, and I'm gonna do it."

"You respect me?!," Yami screamed, "Someone hired you to do this? You disgrace your queen, and you threaten her life! That means you have disgraced me, and threatened mine. You lost to her. That means you must play a penalty game with me, but not only because of that, but now because you have attacked my wife. You will pay dearly!" The millennium puzzle started to glow, and Artemun started to scream. Ateyda thought her ears were going to explode from the man's loud bellow. She winced as he screamed even louder, but he stopped very suddenly as the millennium puzzle light extinguished. He looked down at himself, and started to place his hands on parts of his body as if searching for something.

"No! What have you done!," he cried out, "No! I cannot be disgraced like this!" He dropped the blade, and he was then tackled by Lamasse, Mito, and a few guards. They took him away while he screamed and writhed.

"Yami, what did you do to him?," Ateyda asked him with wide eyes.

"He needs to find out what women are really like and about," he explained, "And the only way he is going to figure that out is if he becomes one. I gave him an illusion."

Ateyda stared at Yami. She knew he had power, but she did not know its extent. _I bet that isn't even the beginning of his strength, _she thought to herself.

Yami took her hand and led her up to the dais that had Yami's seat. She was going to try and keep the horrid images that she witnessed at bay. She was afraid she would let out the howl of sadness that fought to get out of her right in front of everyone there, but she kept it back as best she could. She sat down next to Yami, and they watched the remaining fights. She instantly scanned the rings for the amazing fighter she had watched before. She spotted him instantly with his, long white hair that contrasted his lean, tan body. Once again his technique was as flawless as ever. This time he was not just toying with his opponent, but he was clearly enjoying himself. He blocked every move that was thrown, and soon after he would throw in a strong, powerful hit before his opponent could retaliate and bring up his guard. After a few more minutes, she saw the other fighter start to stagger. His attacks were weakening, not that they were much use to begin with against this other amazing warrior, and she could tell his senses were now slightly skewed. The amazing fighter then smiled and finished him off by kicking him upside his head with extreme force and power.

"Amazing," she said to no one in particular. She stared wide-eyed at the sight she had just witnessed, but before she could ponder on it any longer the priest came forward toward the rings.

"All further matches in this tournament will be held tomorrow at dawn. Tomorrow night, the final match will be held."

Ateyda grabbed her staff, and walked out the doors with Yami. Even though they chose to walk since the palace was so close, they were escorted by several guards. Ateyda walked alongside Yami with the echoes of that man's words reverberating in her head as he disgraced Keytara, and Ceremus's screams pounded in her veins. She loved the Pharaoh, and did not know how she would ever live without him, but she did not know if these new powers were exactly a gift. She did not know how much she could take if all the memories she viewed were as bad as the last one.

"What is on your mind?," he asked her seeing her furrowed expression.

"Nothing," she lied, "I am just tired. It has been a long day."

"You are keeping something from me," he said. He normally would let her tell him when she felt she was ready, but he wanted to know. Now that there was a strong bond between them, he could feel when something was plaguing her, and now he felt a short surge of sadness come from her. "What is bothering you, Ateyda?"

"I am fine. Do not worry about me."

"I know something is wrong," he stopped and turned her toward him, "This is what I meant; this right here."

"Meant by what?," she asked him. What was he talking about?

"I told you that you can talk to me about what you are thinking," he explained, "I know you try to be strong and take it up on your own, but you don't have to do that any longer. You are not alone. I know you do not want to show any weakness, but don't you understand? You are my queen, and I am here for you through anything no matter how large or how small it may be."

She looked into his deep, violet eyes. They sparkled at her like bright amethysts. Every time she looked in them, she felt comfort and solace. She could not think of anyone in the world she loved more. She wrapped her arms around him, and let her face fall into his shoulder. She did not care who was watching. He was right. She did not want to show weakness, but all that really mattered to her were the feelings and cares of her king.

"I need to talk to you about something when we get back to the palace," she said trying to push back the images until she could fully release them to Yami. It would feel better if she could tell someone about the sordid movie that was played before her.

When they returned to the palace, she led him up to their room. She walked out to the balcony to get some air. She finally stopped holding it all in and she felt her knees grow weak. She fell to her knees and had to hold onto the banister of the balcony to keep from falling over completely. She placed her hands over her eyes to try and cope with the scenes flashing before her. The images that had been in her head were so real. Every emotion that was running through the room ran straight through her.

"Ateyda!," Yami said running up to her and kneeling at her side, "What is it? Are you all right?"

She caught her breath, and removed her hand. She felt the breeze of the cool Egyptian night ice over her small streams of tears on her face. She latched onto Yami wanting him to make the all the pain she received from Keytara to leave her. He pulled her onto his lap and wrapped his arms around her.

"What is going on, Ateyda?," Yami said as he held her tight, "What is wrong?" She knew he could feel the sorrow that drowned her.

"I have been having visions today," she started to tell him, "More of people's memories. I first saw Peynara's and then. . . Artemun's. . ." She lurched as another cry escaped her. She just shoved her face into the nape of his neck and let ever tear and sad thought flow out of her. She suddenly felt him jolt, and she felt herself relive all of the memories that she had witnessed that day. Peynara's were not as bad, but the whole time she shivered in fear that Artemun's memory would soon take over. Her fears were not for nothing. They all came back, and she cried harder as she watched it all being played again before her. Every pain, every fear, every emotion that was going through the people in the room was going though her, but something was different this time. This time, she felt arms around her. She looked up to see Yami watching the horror before him. His eyes were wide with shock, and his grip on her tightened. The memory finally came to an end, and she felt herself become solid once again. She looked up at him with her tear-soaked face.

"Did you see that, too?," she asked him hoping that she did not have to relive it again by telling him. He merely nodded. He pulled her into him very tightly, and whispered into her ear.

"I saw it all," he said in his deep, soothing voice. Just hearing it calmed her, and she felt herself becoming very sleepy. She was extremely tired from all of the fighting and emotions of the day. "I will help share the burden of these images. You are no longer alone to carry any heavy weights. I will always be here for you. I love you." She surprised herself when she smiled. She snuggled closer into him. Just the feeling of his touch, his warm breath flowing with the rise and fall of his chest, and the deep, velvety tone of his voice was enough to take away any cares or concerns away, but there was still one thing that was bothering her.

"I want something worse for Artemun," she said, "He needs to pay for what he did to Keytara. I don't want him to live. He shouldn't be blessed by the gift of life. Where did the guards take him? I want to kill him myself."

"Where did you get this vengefulness in you?," he said lifting her face to look at him, "It seems that I gave you more than some of my powers. Do not bring yourself to my level. You are too good for such a thing as revenge."

"How can I just let him get away with it? He can't just be let free without paying for what he did!," she started to panic.

Yami smiled and wiped a tear from her cheek, "Right now he is already paying for the crime he committed against you. What he did to Keytara is something that is to be left up to the Gods. On his judgment day, his deeds will be weighed on the scales of truth before Osiris himself. When the scales tip to show his cold, heavy heart, his soul will be fed to ammit, and he shall linger in a world of horror and despair. In the end, he will get what he deserves. So please, leave him be, you are too good of a person to be dealing with the judgment of men like him." She nodded, and got up. Yami went to bed while she went to the lavatory.

Ateyda washed up hoping to wipe away some of the aches she had in her body. She would have to fight again the next day. She did not know the letter that belonged to the amazing fighter she watched. She wondered if he would be her next opponent. She sat thinking about his movements and his techniques. In her mind she could see his every perfected move, and all of his precognitive defenses. He would be hard to beat, and she bet everything she had that if she made it to the final match, he would be the one she would fight against. She walked into their room to lie down, but she knew she would not be able to sleep. She kissed Yami's sleeping form, and went down to the palace's arena. She tried to imagine that fighter in front of her doing those flawless moves. She tried to contemplate how she would block a certain attack, or how she would counterattack without him using his powerful defense. She was hitting and defending as fast as she could get her body to move, yet her eyes were closed as she imagined the powerful warrior in front of her. She knew she would have to move fast if she expected to beat him. Every second that passed, she forced her body to move faster and harder, but when she made a certain hit, it landed on something. She opened her eyes to see Lamasse standing in front of her. He had blocked her hit with another staff.

"How do you expect to win tomorrow on no sleep?," he asked her.

"Did you see that fighter near the back of the arena today?," she asked him, "If I am to beat him, I need more practice than sleep."

"You do not have to worry about him," he said calmly, "I am up against him tomorrow. I will take him down, and then it is me you will have to worry about defeating."

"His techniques are almost flawless," she said leaning on her staff, "Are you sure you can take him down as easily as you are acting? Did you see the way he took down his opponent today? He is a fighter than should never be taken lightly." She looked over at him when he did not respond. He was looking across the ring deep in thought. She knew he was nervous. She could feel it from him. "I wonder who he is."

He turned back, "His name is Bakura. He is one of the best thieves around here. I know I have seen him around a lot lately, but I have nothing to arrest him for. I don't know why he entered the tournament games. I figured a man like him would want to maintain a low profile."

"A thief?," she asked curiously, "That doesn't make any sense. With fighting skills like his, he could make a lot of money, but maybe money is not what he is after. What do you think he wants?"

"I don't know," he said turning back to the other side of the arena, "All I know is that it can't be good."

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Ok, the whole thing about how Artemun talks. He is really sleazy so I made him talk in very broken English. I know that this is Egypt so he would speak broken Egyptian, but I had to make it broken English because, well come on, this is in English. Duh. Any questions? Email me Review please! Ja ne!


	18. Chapter 18 The Tournament SemiFinals

I'm so sorry guys! I know it has been over a month since I have updated, but school is finally over. I had finals and all kinds of projects due. . . It has been a hell of a month. Anyway, this chapter is about the length of most of my older chapters, but I am trying to steer away from that and go longer. I tried to do that by coupling the finals in the tournament all together in one chapter, but that made it 17 pages long. So I separated them. The final match of the games is chapter 19, it is quite a bit longer than usual. It is a length I am going to try and go for. Anyway, on with the story!

Disclaimer: I do not own Yu-Gi-Oh.

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Ateyda stood in the ring the next day waiting for her opponent to arrive. She got there early that morning before Yami even woke up. Even though she had arrived well before he did, the stands were already half full. She did now know exactly why, but she felt something bad in the air. It was as if there was a dark spot in the back of her mind that threatened horrid events to come to pass. She looked down at her staff. She knew that if she truly believed in herself, and never gave up that she could beat whoever she was to fight that day. Then she remembered what Lamasse had said the night before. He was to be up against the white-haired fighter, Bakura. Worry hit her, and she tried to push it back, but the dark spot in the back of her mind still lingered.

"Be strong, Lamasse," Ateyda said to herself, "Don't you dare lose this match on me."

She only had to stand a few more minutes for the rest of the stands filled up and almost overflow. She leaned on her staff and watched as a large, slightly familiar fighter approached the ring. She felt her heart start to pound faster as she saw whom it was. His name was Shalim, and he was the champion of every tournament in the kingdom for the last six years. He was extremely large. He dwarfed a large man like Lamasse, and it seemed that he would burst if he flexed his muscles. His talent was all too well known. She knew she should have expected him to be there, but after seeing Bakura fight, she was almost glad to see Shalim.

"I've watched you fight," he said as he entered the ring, "You're pretty good, but now that you are against me, we are going to see how good. I have a prediction though. You won't last the first five minutes."

"You think you can take me down that easily?," Ateyda said raising an eyebrow, "Big words from a big man, but can you back them up? I'm not going to go as easy on you as I did my other opponents. My prediction is that after five minutes I will have the upper hand."

"This match won't last that long," he replied. She could see something in his eyes that was unsettling, "People like you don't deserve five minutes of my time."

"People like me?," she asked remaining calm.

"Yes," he replied, then dropped his voice to barely above a whisper, "Murdering bitches like you."

"Murdering?," she laughed, "And on what premise do you have to convict me of murder?"

"You killed your own flesh and blood, did you not? You killed your own father!"

"All is fair in war," she said coldly thinking back on the battle at the palace.

"That is just what I would expect a treacherous murderer like you to say," he hissed, "Your father would be ashamed, but it isn't like you would know that now that he is dead at your hands."

She merely smiled back at him, "I see your game. You are trying to throw me off by messing with my head. I know full well by watching you over the years that you care about nothing but yourself. I did wonder why you accused me so furiously of my father's death, and now I know why. I'm sorry to tell you, but that trick won't work on me. Especially on a dead memory from my past like that one."

It was then that Mito walked up. "Both of you know what is at stake here. The winner of this match will move on to the final match of the tournament. Now, let's begin."

They both glared and walked slow circles around each other. Ateyda glanced at his weapon. It was a chijiriki. It was long spear with a long length of weighted chain on the other end. It was a difficult weapon to master, but once a warrior learned all its uses; they were a difficult contender. They stopped and stood ready to fight. She watched him closely to see if he would strike first. When he did not move, she decided to make the first attack. She brought her staff down with a diagonal attack. He blocked and threw it with such a force that it almost knocked her off her feet. As she was trying to gain back her balance before she fell, he brought around the chained end and hit her hard on her side. She hit the ground, but had to throw herself back before he skewered her with the speared end of his chijiriki. She quickly flung herself onto her knees and dug one end of her staff into his Achilles' tendon on the back of his ankle. He yelled out in pain as his ankle collapsed and he rolled on it. She took this advantage to get up and sidekick him down, but before he hit the ground, he flung out the chain and it wrapped around her leg. She felt herself being pulled off her feet. She slammed into the ground, but before the chain lost its full grip on her, he jumped up and flung her across the ring. She felt every grain in the sandy floor below burning her skin as she skidded to a halt on her back. He ran at her, but she got up and forced herself into his knees. He flipped over her back. While he was still falling, with all of her strength she slammed her staff into him. His falling body spun off into the other direction and landed with a crack at the edge of the ring. He slowly got up panting. He licked the blood from his lip and smiled. He wrapped the chain end of his chijiriki around his hand and he lunged the spear end at her. She easily dodged it, but then she saw his fist come out of nowhere. The attack with the spear was a distraction. She felt it collide with her face, but she did not fall down. With a powerful hit, she smacked the hand with his weapon, making him loosen his grip, and then spun around and kicked him in directly in the face while his guard was down. She could taste blood in her mouth from his hit, and now she wanted to see his.

He brought down the spear end to slice her, but she blocked it and threw it to the side. She shoved one end of her staff into his stomach making him double over and stumble back a few steps before she flipped it under his chin, giving him an uppercut, then coming down on his upward and exposed face, breaking his nose. He sputtered through a rush of blood for a few moments, but then quickly attacked by slicing her arm with an edge of the spear. She gripped the wound feeling her hot blood ooze from it. He tried to do the same move again which was a mistake she did not think he would make. She grabbed the staff part of his weapon just below the sharp spear, kicked the end of the chain making it spin around his wrist, and then hooking her staff at his wrist also, while she kicked the other end of the spear at him. In a split second, she had made his own spear slice a nice piece of his face. She watched him touch his face. He reached in his pocket and pulled something out. He grabbed the end of the chain. While he seemed to be preparing something, she went on the attack. She swung her staff at his torso, but before it collided, he wrapped the chain around her wrist. With his massive strength, he flung her over his back and onto the floor with extreme force. As she struggled to gasp for the breath that was knocked from her lungs, she noticed the chain around her wrist was not loosening. She looked over to see he had attached a hook at the end that had fastened the chains completely on her wrist. She felt herself being dragged again. This time he brought her face to face with him with her feet not touching the ground.

"I should have known you wouldn't have been prepared," he said. Then he kicked her in the stomach, but instead of being knocked back, he tugged on his chijiriki and she was launched back into his awaiting fist. She flew back again, but on this time as she came back she kicked away his attack and with the rest of her strength smashed her staff down on the chain end of his chijiriki. It shattered on impact with shards of wood splintering toward them. She whipped off the chain, wrapped it around the chijiriki, took it from him, and double attacked him with both weapons. He was on his back, and she came at his throat with the spear end. She stopped inches away from killing him automatically making her the winner.

The crowd's deafening shouting finally reached her ears. She had almost forgotten that there was anyone watching, let alone a crowd of thousands of people. She got up and smiled over at her brother who had his hand in the air and was shouting something about her winning. She could not hear a thing over the crowd's shouts and cheers. Yet with the end of the fight, not only did the sound of the crowd come, but also the aches in her body. There was a thin sheet of blood running down her arm, as well as the faint taste of it in her mouth. She gritted her teeth and took it with pride. Shalim was standing up. He glared at her, let out a big sigh, but then put on a grim smile and held out his hand for her to shake.

_'Finally,'_ she thought, _'I have an opponent who sees me as an equal.'_ She smirked and shook his hand. Yet as she released his hand, the shouts coming from the crowd were not cheers any longer. Their eyes all were looking over at the other ring. The look on her brother's face was what started to panic her. His eyes were wide, and his teeth were jammed together. She turned to look behind her, and saw a broken and bloodied form on the floor of the other ring. Bakura stood above him with a manic grin.

"Lamasse?!," Ateyda shouted and started to walk toward him, but her brother grabbed a hold of her and held her back.

He started to get up though his movements were shaken. He wiped some of the blood draining from his mouth. Bakura laughed a little at Lamasse's efforts. Lamasse held up his naginata ready to fight again even though it was obvious that his senses were terribly skewed. Bakura faked a lunge at him and laughed while Lamasse almost slumped sideways trying to block it.

"Come on, Lamasse," Ateyda said quietly, "Don't let me down. You promised me a fight in the finals. You had better not give up on me."

"You're not looking so well," Bakura jeered at him with a deep, evil voice that rasped with his every syllable, "Perhaps you should spare yourself, and just fall down. You were very foolish to think you could defeat me. You are not of my rank."

"I'd rather die fighting than walk away from a challenge," Lamasse spat back through the blood that was running from his nose and mouth. Large welts had already appeared on his skin from powerful blows. Ateyda had never seen such a thing on a fighter. Most of them were toned and in shape enough that it would take a considerable amount of force to cause such an effect.

"You are more of an idiot than I originally thought," Bakura said, "I guess I will just have to show you why." He tried to smack Lamasse's face, but he blocked it. Bakura quickly flipped his staff under the attack, stepped on one end, while exerting a terrible amount of force with the other. It was aimed directly for Lamasse's jaw. In one hit, they heard the crack of his jawbone and watched him fall to the ground with a crash.

"No! Lamasse!," Ateyda was fighting weakly against her brother's grip. The crowd's cheers bore down on her. They cheered her friend's defeat. Bakura was declared the winner, and Ateyda broke Mito's hold on her. She ran to Lamasse's side to find him completely unconscious.

"Get some help for him!," she screamed at some of the by standers. They merely stood and stared at her while glancing nervously over at Bakura. "What the hell is the matter with you?! I said get some assistance for his wounds!" It was not until Bakura left the ring that they dared enter it. Ateyda stood over him watching as they tended to his wounds and broken bones. Lamasse was one of the strongest fighters in the whole kingdom. If Bakura could have taken him down as badly as that, what chance did she have against him?

"Who won the other match?," she heard Bakura ask a terrified sideliner.

"It. . .It. . . It was the queen," he managed to say through his shaking. She felt his fiery gaze turn to her. She looked straight at him showing him that she was not afraid. She did not care how badly Lamasse looked. She was not going to let Bakura get away with beating him so savagely. She did not want a sick man like that win the games, and it was up to her to make sure of it. He merely smiled, and walked into a lavatory.

"Ateyda. . .," she heard Lamasse's cracked voice calling out to her. She whipped around and knelt beside him. "You must promise me something. You must drop out of the games. Do not fight Bakura. He will kill you if you go on and challenge him." He was talking the best be could with his jaw broken, and kept wincing from the pain.

"You know I can't do that, Lamasse," she said stonily.

"You can. You HAVE to promise me not to fight him," Lamasse pleaded.

"I cannot let him get away with this. I will not take the path of a coward and forfeit to him. I won't let him get off that easy. He does not deserve such mercy, and do not worry for me. I will beat him."

"Please, Ateyda," Lamasse begged her, but they started to carry him off to the infirmary.

"Ateyda. . .," her brother began.

She cut him off, "You heard my answer, Mito. I will not drop out of this fight." With that she walked into her own lavatory to clean up.

She went over to a basin that was filled with cool water. She rinsed her mouth of the blood she could still taste in it. She scooped up a handful of water and let it wash down her arm. She could feel the deep cut stinging as the cold liquid filled the crevice and washed the arena floor's dirt from it. A few servants came in and started to bandage it up with ointments and gauze like cloths. She did not like people serving her and helping her, but they were doing a much better job than she would have done. She wiped the rest of the dirt from her skin as they finished bandaging her up. She rinsed off the sweat that had begun to glisten on her body. She walked over to a long cushioned seat, and laid down. She stared up at the cloth shrouded ceiling above her wondering how Lamasse was doing. Her body was aching from being slammed into the ground, and she wondered how well she could fight Bakura when she was already tired from the last match. She knew she had time since the finals were at the end of the day after all the other games were finished, but she still wondered how she would fair. She knew she promised Lamasse that she would beat Bakura, but seeing Lamasse lying there not only scared her but kindled anger in her toward the white-haired warrior. Her words would only take her so far, and her skills seemed to be diminishing before her eyes as she tried to compare herself to Bakura. She would fight with her best, but she was not sure if that would be enough to survive the match. If he did end up killing her like Lamasse warned, then she would accept it for she never backed down from a fight and she was not going to start that now. It had taken her years and a lot of encouragement from Yami to enter the games, and she was not going to stop now.

She heard the door open behind her. She was lying on her side with her back to the person walking in. She heard their sandals tap on the stone floor as they approached her. She felt a hand sweep over her arm and a soothing, deep voice greet her.

"Are you all right?," Yami asked sitting down next to her.

"Fine," she merely whispered.

"I know there is no stopping you from fighting Bakura," Yami said quietly, "Your brother is extremely worried. He told me to come in here and talk you out of it."

"Is that what you are going to attempt?," she asked rather coldly.

"No," he replied, "Because I believe you can beat him. I know after seeing what he did to Lamasse, it was a shock, but I know you are better than Lamasse and Bakura together. I know you can do this. You just have to promise me one thing."

She turned around to meet his gaze. His eyes seemed to sparkle more, and they seemed to be more damp than usual. "What?," she asked very seriously seeing his expression.

"You must promise me you won't lose," he replied.

She reached up and put her hands on his shoulders. She pulled him down very close to her face and left her fingers stroke his soft, bronzed cheek, "I promise that I will not lose. I will not let you down." She felt his lips meet hers. She had been so caught up with the games and training that it had been a while since she had savored the taste of his lips. She felt his hands slowly glide up her back and she felt every pain and ache in her body ebb away. They were replaced by the burning of her desire that his fingertips induced. He laid himself down, and she wrapped her arms around him. He laid his head on her chest and she laid her own in his soft, multi-colored hair. She could not think of anything she would rather be doing. Her heaven was being with him. She slowly felt herself drift of to sleep.

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R&R! Next chapter is the match between Ateyda and Bakura!


	19. Chapter 19 The Tournament Finals: Bakur...

All right everyone! This is the final match in the games! It is a little gory from the blood, but not enough to go against the rating. I hope you all enjoy!

Disclaimer: I do not own Yu-Gi-Oh.

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It seemed like only moments later she was being shaken awake. She opened her eyes to see Mito standing over her. Yami was gone, and she was still curled up on the elongated seat. He had a terrible look of worry in his eyes.

"What's wrong?," she immediately asked.

"It. . . It's time for your match with Bakura," he managed to stammer out. She could tell he did not want to be the one rouse her. He feared that match much more than she did, and she could see it in every feature of his face.

"I'll be right out," she told him calmly hoping it would ease his nerves.

"You are to be announced. When you hear your name you are to enter the ring."

She nodded in agreement. He left with a cloud of grief and pain all around him. She walked over to some of her combative wear she had earlier discarded. She pulled them back on and felt her hands start to tremble. It was not that she was afraid; she was nervous. She knew that if she tried with all the strength she possessed there was a chance she would win, and if Yami believed she could do it then that made it inevitable. She picked up her staff and stared at it hard. She was almost praying on it, asking for guidance and strength from the Gods.

"Ra, be my power," she said aloud.

"The warrior finals are about to begin," she heard a priest's voice call out, "I, High Priest Mahaado, shall reside over this match. This match will decide who will be champion of the games. Gracious Pharaoh and kingdom's people, may I present your warriors! The first finalist to compete in this match is her royal highness, Queen Ateyda!" She heard some cheers from the crowd as she walked out of the lavatory. She was shocked as she saw the floor of the entire arena had been changed. It was one massive ring with two large tables at both ends. These tables were covered in every weapon imaginable. She gripped her staff tight. She hoped she would not need any of the other weapons in this match. She walked into the ring and stood by the table where her brother was waiting for her. He was going to be her sideliner in this match.

"The Queen's opponent is the second finalist Bakura!," Mahaado called out.

She looked over at the door of the other lavatory to see the white-haired warrior emerge. He had a horrible smile on his face as he walked over to his side of the ring. A trembling boy sideliner was waiting for him. He wrapped Bakura's hands in cloth shaking like he was naked in the middle of a snowstorm. After he had finished, Bakura gripped onto the front of his clothing and pulled him face to face.

"_Do not_ screw up," he said with venom dripping off of every word. The boy looked like he was going to faint. Bakura laughed at his trembling and tossed him aside. He picked up his staff and walked toward the middle of the ring. Ateyda did the same.

"Have you made all your arrangements?," Bakura asked her in his dark, raspy voice.

"What are you talking about?," she asked.

He laughed, "You need to get all of your affairs in order before death, but it looks like you won't get that chance."

"I'm not going to let you beat me like Lamasse," she said.

"Oh, was he a friend of yours?," he asked with a smirk on his face, "I did see you kneeled next to him. He is a sorry excuse for a warrior. I will admit he gave me a run around at first, but I broke him down nice and easy. You have to do that with stupid bulls like him. They just don't understand they have no chance against someone like me."

"You may be a good fighter, but that doesn't mean you will beat me. I will not let Lamasse live out a defeat like that, for in this fight I am defending him. I dedicate myself to him in this battle against you."

"It would have been better had you have surrendered. You will lose to me, little girl."

"I am no more a girl than you are a boy, and I will not surrender. Not to the likes of you."

"Then let this match begin."

Priest Mahaado walked up to them and said, "These are the rules. You both have two tables with weapons upon them. During the course of this battle, you may take any weapon from the tables you wish, however, you may not take a weapon from your opponent's side. No other weapons will be allotted to you. You cannot have more than two weapons in the ring at one time. You must turn in one weapon for another unless a weapon is destroyed completely. You both have a sideliner to help you with these transfers. You may toss, throw, or any way possible to get your weapon to your sideliner as long as it gets there. They are in turn allowed to do the same to get the new weapon to you. The sideliners know that in throwing the weapons they cannot harm or even come in contact with the opponent. When you are transferring weapons, there will be no pauses in the fight. You have to do it as quickly as possible without giving your opponent an advantage if you wish to win. Are there any questions?"

"What happens in the event of death?," Bakura asked staring directly at Ateyda with a smirk on his face.

"A win will only be allotted if the cause of death was from the whole match and not one single, fatal blow," he replied with a look of hate on his face at Bakura.

"Well then, let's get on with this," he said backing away from Ateyda.

"Fine," she hissed and walked back.

"You both know what is at stake," Mahaado said looking from one fighter to the other, "Then let this match begin!"

Bakura flipped his staff around impressively and watched Ateyda with a blaze kindling in his eyes. She held hers in front of her as a guard while they took slow circles around one another. His face broke out into an evil smile, and Ateyda could swear she could see every sharp fang he possessed. She could no longer hear the crowd. There was no one around her except Mito and Bakura. Everything else around her was nothing but a black void. She was going to concentrate her every bit of energy on Bakura. She knew that in order to protect herself from his harsh blows that she would need to predict where his every strike would land. They stopped very slowly and stared straight into each other's eyes trying to see the tactics in their mind. Every hair in the entire arena stood on end, as everything grew quiet. The soft breeze that swept through the small windows sounded like a tornado in the quiet. She felt as if she could hear every heart beat around her and every breath she took seemed to resound off the walls. Then she saw something move. Bakura's sandal scraped across the sandy floor as he crept forward. She decided it was time to take action.

She swung her staff at his head, but like lightning he ducked under it and returned with a powerful blow to her side. She was lifted off her feet and flew three feet to her left. The place where his staff had connected with her throbbed with pain. She wondered if he had broken any of her ribs. She could not believe that much pain came from a single hit, but she was not going down that easily. He came at her and tried to slam his staff down upon her from above. With both her hands she raised up her staff to block it. It took all her strength to keep her own staff from coming down on her. He flipped the staff beneath it and the end upper cut her jaw. Her head flew back, and he hooked his staff behind hers. He wrenched it from her grasp and tossed it to the side of the ring. She fell back and hit the ground with a crack. He tried to slam the staff into her again, but she flipped her feet over her head, pushed up with her arms, and landed perfectly on her feet. She turned back to Mitonen and before she even had to say a word, another weapon was flying straight toward her. She caught the tonfa that he had thrown her. It was a straight bit of wood with a handle attached much like modern day police nightsticks. It was only about the length of her forearm, therefore could not give her much of an advantage over Bakura's staff. She needed another weapon paired with this one to do any damage, but Mito knew that she could not have another one since her staff was at the edge of the arena. He had merely grabbed the one that was closest to him without thinking. She would have to make her way over to the staff protecting herself as best she could with the small weapon.

Bakura laughed and landed his the end of his staff in the middle of her back before she could turn around. She screamed out as she felt the searing pain ripple up and down her spine. She pulled herself to her hands and knees shaking with the pain. She felt the side of his staff collide this time underneath her. She was lifted into the air once again. He threw her up and then smacked her down into the ground with a loud smash. She felt all the air rush out of her lungs from the force. She gasped for breath, and looked up, as Bakura was about to jam the end of his staff into her stomach. She flipped around as best she could onto her knees. His staff sunk three inches into the floor from the power behind the blow. He quickly and easily uprooted it from the ground and swung it over at her head. She had the tonfa held so that length of it followed down her forearm. She figured the added strength of her arm would help her. She held up her arm and his staff collided with the tonfa. She felt her skin sting with the energy that was behind the hit. She then jammed the short end of the tonfa into one of his knees, but as she landed the hit and heard him scream out, she felt his staff collide with the side of her face. She once again was thrown three feet to her left and almost completely out of the ring. She quickly got up and backed away from the edge. She was definitely not going to lose on a stupid ring-out. She could taste blood invading her mouth once again. It drained out of the side of her mouth and down her face. He slowly straightened up and limped toward her. This would give her slightly more of an advantage than she had before. She got into a stance ready for him to attack her.

"You haven't learned your lesson yet? Pity, little girl, I thought you were more intelligent than that," he snarled at her.

"You say that, but look at you. You can barely walk with your knee like that," she snapped back. She hated his taunting with the _little girl_ routine.

"Simple wounds like this do not deter me, not when I have a goal to reach."

"And what goal might that be?"

He smiled at her nastily, "To challenge your precious Pharaoh, but we do not need to be worrying ourselves with things like that. There is a fight underway, and I'm not finished beating you around this ring yet."

He launched himself at her. He started to attack her from the right with his staff but she blocked it with the tonfa. Before she could turn, he easily flipped his staff around and attacked her from the left. She hit the ground and he quickly landed his staff directly on top of her. She had to get to her staff somehow. She could not compete with the tonfa by itself. She got up as quickly as she could and darted for the staff. He quickly ran in front of her and smashed his staff into her face.

"I don't think so!," he yelled out the staff collided.

She was thrown backward. Blood poured from her nose and mouth. She suddenly felt dizzy and was not sure if she could stand up straight without teetering back and forth. She heard his sinister laugh and she felt him grab a hold of her right ankle. It was then that it hit her. She felt herself being pulled into his mind and into a memory.

She stood in an alleyway that was dark and deserted. She no longer felt any pain, and no blood was draining down her face. She looked around curiously. If she was in Bakura's memory, then he had to be around there somewhere. It was then that she heard sobbing. She looked over to see a pile of what looked like scrap clothe among some other bits of trash start to tremble. She bent down to look at it closer when she saw a tear-filled eye staring through a hole in the shredded rags. It had to be Bakura, because she could feel his fear, grief, and confusion. Something was terribly wrong.

She walked out to the edge of the alleyway to be met by a sight she could not have conjured in her worst nightmares. It was the Kuruelna village of thieves, but something was terribly wrong with what met her eyes. It seemed that every inch of the village was covered in either a body part or a massive splash of blood. The people were not just killed; they were slaughtered. It was relatively quiet, but it was not a comforting silence. She then heard a faint noise come from behind a building to her right. Just as she felt the need to go investigate, a man riding a horse came bounding from behind it. He was dragging something along behind him. She looked closer to see it was a woman that was screaming. She looked hurt pretty badly from being drug along the ground so fiercely. A few men came riding up behind him as he came to a stop. She heard movement from behind her. She turned to see a small child version of Bakura walk out from underneath the rags of cloth. He was so small it was a wonder she even found him there, but now he was coming out with a face covered in tears and confusion. His beautiful white hair and his clothes were spattered with blood, but it did not look like his own. He looked unharmed except for the terror on his face.

He walked over to the corner of the building and just peeked out enough to see what was going on. He gasped in shock at the woman he saw on the ground.

"Mommy?," he barely whispered as his face contorted to keep a howl of sadness from escaping him.

The man now dismounted his horse and cut the white-haired woman loose. He grabbed what looked like a large club from his horse and started to laugh as walked up to her.

"What have you done with my son?!," she screamed as best she could, "What did you do to Bakura?!"

They merely laughed at her and one man said viciously, "He's probably dead just like you're gonna be. I'm almost positive I saw one of our men chasing a kid that looked a lot like you. There is not a doubt in my mind his body is probably hanging by its neck right now."

The woman let out a howl of misery, "I'm so sorry Bakura."

The little Bakura hidden behind the building started to emerge, "Mommy. . .," but he quickly stopped when the other men started to beat on her. He jumped back in horror. He watched on in terror as they slowly beat the woman to death. Bakura stifled back his screams as he watched with waterfalls of tears cascading down his cheeks.

"Let's retrieve the others and finish this. We'll clean up. The Pharaoh will not want to see this," the man said after stabbing the woman a few times to make sure she was dead. They all mounted their horses once again, and then left the dead woman in their rising dust.

Bakura slowly came from behind the building looking around to make sure the coast was clear. He then ran as fast as his legs could carry him over to his lifeless mother. Ateyda quickly followed him and approached the poor woman. Bakura knelt down and started to bawl. She was barely recognizable from all the blows to her face. He merely laid his head on her chest and screamed out his cries. After a while, he slowly stopped. He looked down at his mother, and all the feeling in his eyes was lost. Where a hurting child's face once was, an angry glare replaced it. He slowly got up and started to walk away from her. Ateyda instantly followed him.

He led her down a series of alleyways. The whole time she wondered where he was leading her. He finally came to a door what was well hidden. As she went down inside of it, she realized it was a secret passageway. It must have been the whole reason he was still alive and that no one found him. Everything around her started to fade, and she felt herself being pulled from his mind. She felt all the pains in her body come back. She looked down to see the adult Bakura still gripping her ankle just as he had before she had been pulled into his mind.

He lifted her into the air, and brought her down hard on the ground with her face smashing into the sandy floor. She cried out, and tried to raise her head to see where he would come from next. Her vision was a bit blurred and her face felt like it was swollen ten times its size. She turned on her back to see Bakura standing over her. He laughed and kicked her in the stomach. He did it with such power she was flung further away from her staff than she had been before. She coughed hard and felt another rush of blood come from her nose and mouth. She looked up slowly at the figure standing before her. Yami was being held back by Mahaado at the very edge of the ring with his eyes wide with worry.

"Ateyda. . ." he merely mouthed.

She merely gritted her teeth. She pushed herself to her feet and turned toward Bakura. He smiled while she glared back at him. She wiped away the blood from her face, and held up her tonfa with her other hand ready to attack.

"I was hoping you had some fight left in you," he said flipping his staff out in front of him as well.

"I will fight until I die if that is what I must do," she said disdainfully.

"Then let me help you fulfill that promise," he said charging at her again.

She stood ready. She watched his muscles as they rippled. She was watching what action they were going to take. She saw them contract to make a hit from the right to her head. With her senses coming back to her, she crouched under the attack at the last minute, and threw her leg up to kick him across the face. She had her hands on the ground, and her back to him as her leg collided with his face and she turned completely around in the attack. She stood up, but quickly flipped backward so that her feet caught his staff. With the strength of her entire body, she flung his staff completely out of the ring. Bakura quickly turned to his terrified sideliner who had a naginata in his hands ready. As he was reaching to catch it, Ateyda crashed down with all of her force on his head. He fell forward, but still managed to close his fingers around the naginata. As he tried to flip around, she jumped into the air and landed with her knees in his chest. He coughed and gasped for breath. She quickly got up, and ran toward her staff at the other end of the arena. Before she could even get there, she felt a horrible pain in her side. She stumbled and clutched her side. She then cut her fingers on the blade of the naginata that was soaring past her. She fell to her side as the fresh cut sent streams of blood rushing down her body. The wound was not enough to kill her, but she needed to have it looked at as soon as possible.

"Ateyda!," she heard her brother cry. She looked up at him, and he looked at a loss for words. She was very close to him, but she knew that if she threw him the tonfa in exchange for another weapon, it could mean the loss of the match and her life.

Bakura walked up in front of her and grabbed his naginata from the ground. She lay there with a small bit of blood staining the floor beneath her. The pain that was writhing in her side made it difficult for her to breath, and she was still trying to get up. She gritted her teeth and slowly pulled herself to her feet. Drops of blood softly spattered the ground as she stood to face him. He threw a small attack at her that she easily blocked, but it sent sharp, sickening pains all the way up to her throat.

"You thought you could get the best of me?," he said with a hiss. He was clearly very angry that she had been able to attack him while he was trying to retrieve another weapon. "I will finish you off nice and slow."

She swallowed the lump that had formed in her throat. By the looks of her condition now, she did not know if she would be able to survive any more of it, but she was not about to give up. He swung an end of the naginata at her. She blocked it, and tried to punch him back, but he retaliated and met her fist with the bladed end of the naginata. It sliced a good bit of her hand. She cried out and pulled her hand off of the blade. She had fallen victim to yet another handicap. She would not be able to use her left hand. She felt her hot blood start to drain from it also. It ran down her fingertips and started to mingle with the other blood from her side on the ground. She held her hand against her protectively while it throbbed in pain. His reflexes were amazing, and had been getting the best of her the whole match. She stood there with blood slowly draining from her nose, mouth, side, and now her hand. She saw her brother behind Bakura shaking his head in horror. She could not hear his shouts over the crowd's deafening cries, but she had an idea that he was begging her to stop.

While she had looked over at Mito, Bakura went for another attack. She reacted in an instant much to her surprise. She quickly jumped back away from the blade that already was stained with her blood. She could see bits of her flesh still sticking to it, and she felt a wave of sickness rove over her. He attacked her again with the blade. She blocked it with the tonfa, but he curved it around so the curved blade went around it and managed to bite into another piece of her flesh. She backed away from him holding her arm wondering if she would bleed to death before he got the chance to kill her. She stood waiting for his next attack trying to find a way to get at her staff again. It was her only chance to survive if there were any. He lifted himself up onto his naginata and side kicked her down before she could dodge it. She fell to the ground, and the ache in her side now increased as she felt the cut in her side tear even more.

She cried out and held her side. She shook with all the pain that was coursing through her. She did not know if she could pull herself to her feet. She felt his hand enclose around her throat. As he lifted her up, she gave him a few blows to the head, but he quickly caught her tonfa and threw it out of the ring. She tried to kick him, but he held her out far enough away from him that she could not come in contact. She saw his hand pull back, and she closed her eyes waiting for the impact. It hit her harder than she could have imagined. If she could have heard anything over the crowd, she would have sworn she heard the crack of her entire chest. She flew backwards and slid along the ground toward the edge of the ring. She rolled over onto her stomach coughing, and struggling for breath. She put her hands down to try and lift herself. She wondered why she would even try when she had no way to defend herself, but as she reached out to get a firm hold on the ground, she felt something underneath her fingertips. She looked up to see her staff right in front of her. A rush of joy swept over her. Even though she did not know if she could even stand, she felt she still had a chance. She heard Bakura coming up behind her. She flung around quickly and attacked the knee she had before. He cried out and clutched it tightly as he fell onto his other knee. This was her only chance if she wished to win this match. She kicked him in the face as she flipped onto her stomach. She lifted herself up, and spun around to crack her staff into his head. He flew sideways and she could see blood gush from the spot where she had hit him. It was now flowing down his face. Normally she would have kept attacking him until he fell down now that his senses were skewed as he tried to recover from the hit, but she felt the gash in her side pound with pain that made her wrench. She almost fell over as she gripped onto the hot, bloodied area. It was still giving off blood, and it had left a crimson river all the way down to her foot.

Bakura held his head where she had hit him. It seemed she had hit a vulnerable spot near his temple. She could see the red start to change the color of his eye as it slowly flowed into it and down his face. He tried to walk toward her, but his knee was basically broken and skewing off into an odd direction. He held up his naginata clearly telling her he was not giving up at all; not that she had expected him to. She flipped around her staff with a new form strength running through her.

Bakura swung the blade at Ateyda trying to slice across her stomach, but she blocked it with her staff. She caught the naginata underneath the blade with her staff, and with all her strength she yanked it from him by pulling it to the side of his broken knee. He tried to hold his weight on it to keep his naginata, but it gave way and he hit the ground. She threw the weapon out of the ring. Now there was now way he could fight her with a weapon of any kind.

"If you were a true fighter, you would throw that away," he said pointing at her staff and slowly getting to his feet.

"Can you not beat me with you bare hands?," she asked him in a nasty tone.

"You cannot beat me no matter what the circumstances are," he replied and lunged out. She ducked under his attack, but then felt the sting of the cut on her side. He managed to catch her off guard with the pain she felt, and he caught the side of her face with a left hook. He took the weapon away from her, and just as she did to his naginata, he threw her staff from the ring. Now they were both without a weapon.

Bakura kicked her in the stomach as she attempted to get to her feet. He grabbed a hold of her right arm, and twisted it behind her back. She cried out from the pain in her arm, and the pain it caused by threatening to tear at her side even more.

He pulled her very close and whispered into her ear, "You have no weapon. You are in much worse shape than I, and the only thing you can use against me I have pinned behind your back. You cannot kick me with that gash in your side, and you cannot punch me with your hand nearly severed. You are now under my control, and I have decided you need to die. The Pharaoh will want nothing more than to take up a challenge from the man who killed his Queen."

She had never felt hate like that before. It burned in her veins and threatened to kill her all in itself. She tightened her weak and blood drenched left fist, and turned her face toward him as much as she could.

"You have underestimated what I can do," she said calmly, "If I kill myself in taking you down, then that is fine with me, because I will not let you near the Pharaoh." She bent down as much as she could and bashed the back of her head into his face. Then, in a split second as he loosened his grip slightly, she flipped around and punched him as hard as she could directly in the nose with her left hand. He went flying back and hit the ground. She ran up on him as he tried to get up and kicked him down again. She jumped into the air and landed on his chest once again. He tried to lunge out and punch her, but she ducked under them, flipped behind him, and dropped kicked him in the back. Then she saw, just a few inches away, was the tonfa he had earlier discarded. She grabbed it, and started to bash his head as fast as she could. She hit him with a left, then right, then left again until he completely collapsed on the ground unconscious.

She stood and looked at his form on the ground. She felt sorry for the pain he had endured at such a young age, but she did not pity the thing he chose to become. The crowd's roaring was deafening, and she felt like she was going to collapse at any moment. She barely heard Priest Mahaado declaring her the winner. Her brother and Yami both rushed over to her as the crowd cheered on. They led her into the lavatory as she tried to walk as best she could. When she was finally out of sight of the entire arena and kingdom, she fell to the ground and completely passed out.

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R&R please! I hope you guys liked this!


	20. Chapter 20 Goodbye

Ok, this chapter is pretty fast paced. A lot happens in a little amount of time. I wanted this last bit to go fast so the characters really wouldn't have a chance to anticipate or try to prevent anything. It just happens and if there is a problem with that for the characters, then tough luck. Hope you guys like!

Disclaimer: I do not own Yu-Gi-Oh.

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Ateyda awoke to the comforts of her bed chamber in the palace. She had been bandaged up, and was now lying on fresh, cool linens that soothed her skin. She started to sit up and felt pain sear through her. She gripped the gash on her side as it throbbed and silently screamed its aches. She forced herself over the edge of the bed, and her feet met the cool stone floor. She walked over to the balcony with the wind whipping through the white linen curtains bringing her the essence of the fragrant flowers below. She let her hands slide up the balcony's banister as she took in the view of the Egyptian horizon mingling with the dark, velvet blue sky. She had won. Even as she stood there in less than her best form, she had triumphed over Bakura, and his sick little game had come to an end. All through the tournament matches, she met up with foes that did not believe she could hold her own in the fight, and yet she defeated each one until she became the victor above all. She smiled to herself thinking about how Yami had pushed her to enter the games, and how she doubted herself. He did not lose faith in her for a moment. Of course there were times when he worried, but he still believed in her.

She reached up and touched the pendant that hung around her neck. Mito had been there for her also. She could not forget him. He had lent her support, and helped her win over her enemies. She just wished for his happiness now. He always wore himself down as he fought to protect her and keep her happy up until he left, and now that he was back, he remained firm in that idea. He had sacrificed so much when they were children to teach her virtues their father did not know. She felt it was his turn to be happy, but what was it that he could possibly want?

She heard stirring below in the palace's garden. The Priestess Isis walked out and sat down on an altar in the middle of a bed of exotic flowers. Ateyda did not know what time of night it was, but she knew Isis never came out to this part of the palace, especially not in the mid of night. She sat quietly not saying a word or doing anything in particular. It was as if she were waiting for something or someone. It was then that another figure came out and sat next to her. Isis reached out and gripped the figure's hand.

"I wondered when we would finally be able to speak again," she said to the person next to her, "The tournament games and the attacks on the palace have kept us from meeting, but I saw from my necklace that if I came out here, you would too."

"Well this is certainly different," joked Mito's voice, "Our last rendezvous you didn't have the millennium necklace."

"_And_ our last rendezvous, you were but 17," Isis pointed out, "Has it really been five years?"

He was quiet for a moment. "To me it felt like 50," he replied as he hung his head, "I left behind everyone I cared for without even a thought. After I had left, I felt I betrayed everyone I loved. The two most important people in my life were the ones hurt the most, my sister. . . and you. I'm sorry, Isis. I was a coward and did not want to face my father any longer."

"You did what was right by you," Isis replied turning to him. She put her hand up to his cheek, "No one can condemn you for that. Instead of just running away, you actually took that time to try and help people with the crusades. There was nothing wrong with your actions."

"Still, I cannot believe my sister actually forgave me. I did not even look back and say goodbye when I left. I could hear her though. She was yelling for me to come back, and I just left her behind without another look. Right after you and I had finally found out how we. . . felt for each other, I left you too. I don't know how I could have left you without letting you know where I was going or what was going to happen. Isis, I should not have been capable of that."

"Mitonen, you know it was the right thing to do. It would have been worse for you if you had stayed. Not only did you let your sister fight for things on her own, you helped the crusades, and you were the one that threw the crusades into an uproar when you discovered the leader of the troops was stealing the villages blind. No one else believed he would do something like that, but you risked your station and your life for what you believed. Leaving this kingdom to go with them is no different. Leaving your sister and. . . and me was no different."

"Do you really believe that?"

"There is no doubt in my mind or in my heart. That is all in the past, and the only thing that I care about now is that you are back."

Mito grabbed her other hand. They sat for a few minutes staring into each other's eyes. Finally, after a few moments of thought, they closed the gap between them and shared their first kiss in five years. Ateyda smiled from the balcony above, and let them be. She slowly backed up into the room again with her heart being a little lighter than it had been a few minutes ago. It was exactly what she had been hoping for. She bumped into something lightly. She turned around to see Yami standing before her smiling at her.

"I see you are finally up," he said bringing his lips down on hers.

She savored him for a moment then said, "Was I out for a few hours? I feel a lot better."

"Try a few days," he replied and then laughed at her shocked reaction, "You can't expect to receive damage like that and be up a few hours later."

"Well, I would have expected to at least wake up," she said with the shocked look still gracing her.

He laughed, "I see most of your injuries have healed, except this one," he lightly put his hand on the bandage on her side, "This one will take a while. I'm surprised you could stand after receiving this."

"Bakura was tough," she replied leaning into him, "but I was not going to give up no matter how much it hurt."

"And that is why I knew you could do it," Yami said wrapping his arms around her and bringing her into his tight embrace, "Even though Bakura seemed undefeatable, I knew you could do it."

She looked up at him and asked, "How can you hold such confidence in me?"

He stopped for a moment, and looked hard into her eyes. They widened a bit while she wondered what he was doing. No one could stare down the Pharaoh. His eyes were too intense. Anyone could feel the immense power they held, but it was more than that. The depths of his amethyst eyes were both beautiful and dangerous. Anyone who looked in them did not know whether to be drawn in or run scared. They invoked both lust and fear in their cold yet warm stare. He pressed his lips against hers once again. She felt like she was going to faint. He stuck her to the spot with his hard gaze, and then swept her up in his soft lips. He knew exactly how to get to her.

He pulled back, "I can sense anyone's strength and weaknesses, and your strengths far outdid Bakura's. Besides, what kind of man would I be to deny you?"

Before she could respond, Priest Shadi burst into the room.

"My Pharaoh, it's Seto. He's here," he said with a bit of panic in his voice.

"Stay here," Yami immediately said to Ateyda, "I know you wish to fight him, but you can't in your weakened condition. There is no doubt that is me he wishes to fight anyway."

A black spot appeared and started to delve in her mind. She did not know what it was or where it came from, but something was not right. Something felt as if it were going to explode. She grabbed Yami's arm as he started to walk out, "You. . . You can't do this. I don't know why, but something isn't right."

"This has to be done, Ateyda. Seto will not stop unless _I_ stop him," Yami said.

"It's not that," she replied looking off, "I can sense something from him. He has hate brewing in him, but. . . It's not his own."

"What?," Yami asked. He stared at her trying to comprehend what she was feeling.

"I can't explain it. All I know is that all the hate and anger we have received from him is not him. That creature that attacked the palace, the one that tried to take me from you is not Seto. It's as if there is someone else burrowing inside him, slowly eating away his mind."

"I see. That would explain his haste in turning against me."

"He turned against you? What are you talking about?," she asked him. If Seto hated the Pharaoh so much, then he should never have been with him.

Yami turned a grave face toward her, "Seto is my cousin. He was one of the chosen few to become priests. When he received the millennium item, something was different about him. It was not long after I took over for my father that he rebelled. That was about five or six years ago."

"My Pharaoh, please," Shadi pleaded.

"I'm sorry, Ateyda," Yami said turning to leave, "Explanations must be kept for later. I must go. Stay in this room." With that he left her with her worries. She could not explain it, but she could exactly sense where Seto was. It was like he was a black spot of filth on a white canvas, but somehow she felt the black hate that engulfed his mind was not of his making. She felt there was a light somewhere inside him that was the true him underneath all the darkness. She could not let Yami go through this alone. During that ceremony, they promised to be there for each other through and through. She was not going to break that now.

She pulled on a few of her linen robes. The gash in her side was searing again, but she ignored it. She was not going to let a small wound like that stop her now. Her hand was almost healed. At least she had it to fight with if everything came to a head. She went over to a large, wooden chest in the corner of their room and pulled off the lid. She reached in and pulled out the long, silver sword that Yami had given her the day she became head of the guard. She put it around her, and headed toward the door. She slowly crept down the stairs to hear yelling coming from the main hall. She sliently walked to the door, but before she could open it and go inside, she felt a hand on her shoulder.

"You cannot go in there, Ateyda," she turned to see Lamasse holding her back. He had bandages over his wounds much like she had, and he was leaning on a crutch, "You will be in danger if you go in there."

"I will not let Yami go into a fight alone," she said a turned back to the door. He maintained a firm hand on her shoulder. She whipped out her sword and pointed its end toward him, "I hate to do this to you, Lamasse, but that is my king in there, and no one will keep me from fighting by his side." He loosened his grip on her. He had a very solemn and sad expression.

"As you wish, your majesty," he said turning around and walking away.

"Lamasse, I did not mean it. . .," she called out to him.

"Goodnight," he said quietly. He did not call her by her name. He was disappointed that she reacted to him in that way. She hated to leave him on bad terms to fight, but perhaps she could reconcile with him after Seto paid.

Yami and Seto were standing facing each other. The other priests stood back, but with their monsters ready. It seemed that Yami had told them to stay back. She even saw her brother standing with them. He had a monster by his side as well, but it had been years since she had seen it. She only saw it one other time in her life. It was a very powerful monster that he rarely ever let see the light of day. The legendary demon he called "Summoned Skull" stood beside him awaiting a command of action. Yami and Seto also had their monsters out. A monstrous white dragon was curled around Seto looking menacingly at Yami. Yami was facing him with no fear in his eyes. He had what looked like a version of Mahaado's magician beside him, but as she walked closer, she saw it was Mahaado himself.

"Mahaado?!," Ateyda cried running forward, but before she could get very far, the Pharaoh's right hand man, Shimon, held her back.

"You must not interfere. It is too dangerous," he said.

"What happened to Mahaado?!," she yelled at him.

"Ateyda!," Yami called out, "What are you doing down here! I told you to stay upstairs!"

She looked up at him and saw both fire and a deep fear in his eyes. She scared him to death by being down here. "What happened to Mahaado?!," she cried.

Shimon pulled her back away from the fight, "My Queen, please, Mahaado went after Bakura after the tournament games. Before you had awoke, Bakura made an attack on the palace. He demanded to fight the Pharaoh and the rights to you."

"The rights to me?!," she asked confused. What did Bakura want with her?

"Bakura wanted to make you pay for defeating him in front of the entire kingdom, but at the same time he wanted the power of the millennium items. He thought if he defeated the Pharaoh that he would get his throne, the millennium items, and the right to condemn you. The Pharaoh prevailed in the end, of course, but Mahaado was furious that Bakura disgraced the royal family. He went to kill him, but in the end, it was Mahaado that had to do the sacrificing."

"Shimon! Take Ateyda out of here!," Yami yelled out to him.

"No!," Ateyda said and broke Shimon's grip, "I will not!"

"Ateyda. . .," Seto's voice echoed across the ring to her. She turned to look at him, but she had never seen him like this before. On the outside he looked completely fine and even attractive, but she could see something in his mind that was black and disgusting. His true mind was being blocked. She was sure of it now.

"Yami, I will not let you do this alone," Ateyda said as she started to approach Seto.

"Ateyda, stop!," Yami yelled.

"Ateyda. . .," Seto said again. He suddenly yelled and gripped his head as if he expected it to split open, "No! I can't! No!"

"Seto, what is going on?," Ateyda asked him cautiously.

"Stop! No! I won't do it!," he continued to yell without even acknowledging her presence, but his lips were not moving.

"Seto, who are you talking to?," she asked him again. She walked slowly up to him and touched his cheek. She felt a jolt and could sense the voices in his mind. He was not yelling audibly. It was an internal struggle.

_"Kill her," a raspy voice taunted him._

"No! I won't! I can't! Not her!," he screamed.

_"Do it now. She's within your reach. Kill her, then finish off the Pharaoh."_

"Stop it! I can't!"

_"Then I will do it for you!"_

Seto suddenly looked over at her with such hate in his eyes that she gasped and stepped back. She started to back away from him when he turned completely toward her, "Blue Eyes White Dragon, destroy her!"

Before she could react she felt the immense power of the blast attack, but it stopped and instead evaporated all around her. She looked up to see Yami's Kuribohs blocking Seto's attack. He had summoned them in front of her before the attack could kill her. The Summoned Skull then walked in front of her to protect her. Mito was standing by her side making sure Seto's attacks did not hit her.

"Mito, if your ka is destroyed, then it will physically hurt you," Ateyda warned him, "You can't do that."

"I have to protect my little sister," he said giving her a glare, "I wasn't here for all those years, but I am now."

"Mitonen, you don't have to make up for all those years. I don't need protection!"

"Seto," Yami said with hate burning in every bated breath, "How dare you try to attack her. I will not forgive you."

"And neither will I," Mito voiced.

"You think I care what the two of you think?," he hissed, "I'm here to defeat an enemy, not make alliances. Now, attack my Blue Eyes with White Lightning!"

Instead of the dragon attacking the Mahaado magician, it attacked Mito's Summoned Skull. Mito was knocked off his feet. Ateyda was wide open, but Yami was standing ready. Mito slowly got to his feet, but was staggering. Ateyda closed her eyes tight. She had never done it before, but she knew the ka in her mind had never been extracted. If she could look into people's memories, hear their thoughts, then maybe she could search her own mind as well. Memories of her life flashed before her, every emotion to be felt ran through her as she searched until she hit one very dark, unused corner that held immense power. With all of the concentration her mind could possibly process, she unlocked the ka inside her.

A large sorcerer appeared in front of her. She heard murmurs from the priests. A _magician_ and _Maha__ Vailo_ swept through the mingled whispers. She did it. She could not believe it, but she had summoned the ka from her mind. The only thing left to do was figure out how to use it. This sort of battle she had never participated in. It was her brother that was skilled in it. She did not know how long her ka would last if Seto decided to attack it, but at least it was some sort of protection.

Mito came from behind her, "Have it protect you."

"What?," she asked.

"Just command it to defend," he instructed.

"Um. . . Defend," she called out to the magician monster. It went into a defensive position, "Wow."

"You need to pull back," Mito said, "You don't need to be in the line of fire. I know you want to be by Yami's side, but it is harder on him to defeat Seto if he is worrying about you."

"I. . .," she started.

"No arguments," he replied sternly. He had never been so strict with her, but then again he knew what he was doing in this much more than she did. She backed up away from the battle field, and the so called Maha Vailo magician followed maintaining its defense. Ateyda saw there were large bruises and cuts all over Mito.

"What happened?," she asked.

"Do not worry about it," he replied, "With a powerful monster like that dragon, I should be thankful it did not do worse."

_"You need to take her down first,"_ a voice said. It was the same voice she had heard in Seto's mind.

_"Attack her when the Pharaoh is not expecting it. When he is weak, you may finish him off easily."_

"Mito," she whispered, "He is going to attack me. What do I do?"

"Do not worry," he replied, "He won't. His attention is on the Pharaoh."

"You have to trust me, Mito," she begged, "He's going to attack me."

"Pharaoh," Seto called out, "You had better prepare yourself. For my monster far outdoes your own."

"You see?," Mito said trying to calm her, "He will not attack you."

_"Kill her."_

"Mito," she began.

"Hush, Ateyda," he whispered, "Yami will defeat him. Do not worry."

"Now my dragon, attack!," Seto yelled. Just as Ateyda had expected the blast came directly her way. Mito yelled something, but she could not hear it as the attack collided with her ka. She was thrown from her feet just as Mito had been. Everything became fuzzy, and she could not see clearly. She saw Mito above her saying something. She could see his lips move, but could not hear him. He kept glancing down at her. She attempted to look down herself, but he kept her gaze toward him. His voice slowly started to become audible.

". . . don't give up. Keep your eyes on me," he was coaxing her, "Don't look down, just keep looking at me." But it was then that she felt it. The gash in her side had completely ripped across the whole front of her stomach. The warm liquid that gushed from it was now making a gory bed for her. She knew there was nothing anyone could do. Yami rushed to her side.

"Ateyda!," he cried as he reached her.

"I'm sorry, Ateyda," Mito cried, "I did not think he would do it. I'm so sorry."

She smiled at them, "Do not worry. Mito, this was not your fault. Yami, I'm only sorry I didn't get to help you. I let you down."

"Ateyda, please don't," Yami cried. The kohl around his eyes started to run.

"I'm sorry, Yami," she said as the pain started to ebb away, "Next time, I promise I will not let you down. I promise to protect you forever." And as the pain slowly started to fade, so did she.

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I know this chapter was kinda short, but I just couldn't stand to just continue on to the next chapter. I really wanted to end it here, but the next chapter is coming very soon. Maybe even tomorrow. Thanks a lot you guys! And a big huge thanks to Black-Rose-Of-Death, who will be my beta-reader for all coming duels! Glomp Read & Review!


	21. Chapter 21 The First Awakening

This chapter is fast-paced once again. This takes place twenty years after Ateyda's death. I hope you all enjoy!

Disclaimer: I do not own Yu-Gi-Oh.

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Akama walked out into the mass of people passing out the drinks and food. She had been working at the small pub for the past 10 years. They had not been easy, but then again life for a woman was never easy. The only thing she knew was that raising herself and trying to survive were two things she had to learn quick. She prayed to the gods for the day she would be able to leave that place. Little did she know, that the day had arrived.

Many of the drunk and degenerate thieves that came to the pub regularly tried to give her a hard time, because she had always been different. She knew things, and held skills that no one could explain.

"Get another wench!," one man yelled as he threw a goblet at her head. She caught it without even having to look up. She even surprised herself sometimes with the things she did.

"I swear to you, something's not right about that girl," she heard a man whisper thinking he could not be heard, not that it mattered. Who would care what a low-life serving maid thought? Yet somehow, the older men seemed to think there was something familiar about her. It was something about her moon colored eyes and night black hair that set her apart.

"Give a little love, eh?," another man full of drink said as he tried to pull her toward him. She twisted his arm off her, and swung around with a nice left hook to the nose. She could hear his bones break as her fist collided with his face sending him over the next table and sliding across the floor into some by-standers. She stared at her fist not believing what she just did, but she knew what the result of it would soon be. She quickly gathered up the dishes she had been carrying and rushed off to the kitchen.

"She broke my nose!," she heard him blubber, "Stupid bitch, broke my nose!"

She heard angry voices start to rise. That was one thing never to be done; light a spark in the midst of drunk, brooding men. She tossed the dishes in her arms aside, and made her way to the back door of the pub. The men's voices started to get closer and louder. She turned into the dark alleyway and started to run.

"There she is! Over there!," a voice called out.

She picked up to a flat out sprint. She dashed in and out of different alleyways hoping to deter them. She had dealt with drunks for years working in that pub, and if she knew them enough, she knew they would not keep track of her easily in their state. As she darted right and left out of their sight, she heard them starting to get angrier. They could not keep tabs on her. She stopped inside a small nook in a building. She stifled her hard breathing and tried to make herself absolutely invisible.

"Where the hell did she go?!"

"I think down this way!"

Their voices grew dimmer and dimmer until they faded away completely. She let out a sigh, and started to walk in the opposite direction. _"Another wonderful night,"_ she thought. She kept walking not paying attention to the roads she was taking. She would catch hell for running away like that taking quite a few "paying patrons", if they could possibly be called that, out of the pub. Her heart continued to sink as she thought about her situation. She wanted so much more than that life. She felt like she was worth so much more, but there was very little she could do about it. Her whole life she felt that there was something missing.

"It's about time I find out what that is," she said to herself. She did not know what or where she was exactly planning to go, but it was high time she did it. She did not know what compelled her to just up and run away, but the again she wondered why she had not done it before. She had always heard about the servants in the palace of the Pharaoh. They served and protected the Pharaoh, but they also had the privilege of living behind its walls. That would be exactly where she would find her salvation. She ran back to be pub as quickly and quietly as she could. She saw a few horses tied up at its front. She untied one and jumped on its back. With a light kick to its sides, she was flying down the streets toward Cairo. What was she thinking? What if they did not want to take on some common serving wench? She did not think about it. The only thing she knew was that she had had enough.

After a few hours of riding, she looked up to find herself at the old palace of the previous Pharaoh. No one ever spoke of this Pharaoh, or what happened to him no matter how much she asked. His name was never to be mentioned, nor were his deeds or followers to be discussed, so she knew very little of him. The gates of the decrepit palace were old and crumbled. The vines that once grew up its sides were dead and dried. She did not know why, but she felt drawn to it. It was in ruins and had stood empty for years, but she had an undeniable urge to go inside.

She pushed open the large, front doors and walked inside. Something was strangely familiar about the stone walls and staircases. The unlit torches hung from the walls covered in dust and cobwebs. Everything looked empty and cold, but something inside her stomach started to burn. She felt her heart leap as she started to climb the staircase. Why did she feel this way?

She looked through various rooms wondering what it was she was looking for, but as she opened two large double doors, she quickly found out. As she entered the dormant bedchamber, a flood of ice cold blood ran through her. Ragged and blackened curtains flew back from the open balcony window. Emotions and memories of the past flashed through her and filled her mind. She fell to her knees. Her head started to pound and ache as every memory of her past life stormed through her veins. She was lying on her side gasping for breath as it all started to slow and subside. She did not know where that came from, or how she was back, but the only thing she cared about was that she found Yami. In this time and age, she was called Akama, but her original name was Ateyda.

She threw the bedchamber's doors open and ran down the stairs. "Yami?! Yami, where are you?!" Why was their home in such a desolate state? Where were all the people? "Yami?! If you're there, please answer me!"

"He's not here," a voice behind her said. She flung around to see the Priest Shadi in a heavy robe and turban.

"What do you mean? Where is he?"

"It is good to see you again, my Queen."

"Shadi?"

"Yes, at least in some way, but if you seek the Pharaoh Yami, you will not find him here."

"Where can I find him?"

"Head north from here. You will find him."

Her heart leapt. She could not imagine what it would be like to lose him, so she could not imagine what it was like for him these twenty years. She did not know how it was that she came back, but she did not care. She had been given a second chance, and she was not going to waste it. It was strange that she did not search for the palace until that moment. She had seen the front of it once when she was small and never had the urge to enter. What was it that made her go in? Why did she suddenly remember everything from the past? At this time, once again, she did not care that much. The moment she could see Yami's face would make it all insignificant. It did not matter as long as she was with him again.

It seemed that she had been running for forever through the warm, night sands, the horse completely abandoned, when she finally saw a great pyramid come into view. She stopped with her heart racing from both running and fear. A pyramid was the last thing she wanted to see. It was the mark of a tomb. She started to panic, and her breath started to seize. Why would Shadi send her to a tomb? Why would Yami be at a tomb unless. . . She broke into a sprint all the way to the entrance, and there written in plain words told her everything she needed to know.

"No!," she screamed. Tears streamed down her face as she started to throw her fists into the markings. They started to crack just as her hands did. She eventually stopped; weak from fighting it. She slid to the ground holding her bleeding hands, leaning against the tomb of her king, "Why? Why?!" Her screams echoed across the sandy plain.

"He had to sacrifice himself in order to save everyone," Shadi's voice came again.

"Get away," she barely whispered.

"You must understand what has happened," he started again.

"I said get away!," she screamed, "I don't care! Why the hell was I sent back?! Is this my curse?! Am I supposed to live this life without him as my punishment for abandoning him?! Just get away and leave me be!"

"My queen. . ."

"GO AWAY!," her last scream echoed and died with Shadi fading as well, but she did not see. She merely curled up next to the tomb, and leaned her head against it. She kissed his name that was engraved on the entrance. The taste was her tears and his blood mingled together in a sour kiss. Her tears flowed down her cheeks and onto the cold stone. She looked up at the engravings, "I will find you. In this world or the next, I will find you. I promise." In her heart somewhere, she felt it coming. It was her death, and with the knowledge that Yami was dead and gone, she welcomed it with open arms.

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Next stop, present times! Read and Review! Thanks guys!


	22. Chapter 22 Back to Present Times

Ok, I had to upload this chapter a little sooner than I had planned. I was gonna wait, but I felt the last chapter was a little too short. So here you go! We are back in present times. I loved writing about Egypt, and I'm sorry it had to end, but that's what all good things do. Anyway, this is going to pick up from where the modern times left off. Battle City is going to start soon, and my beta-reader Black-Rose-of-Death will be previewing all of my duels for me. Glomps her Yea for beta-readers! Well, enjoy!

Disclaimer: I do not own Yu-Gi-Oh. Does anyone else find this tiring?

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Yugi sat on his bed watching the transparent spirit look out the window. He sat in the chair at Yugi's desk in his regal position. His arms and legs were crossed and he had a stern expression that caused lines to form in his beautiful face. It was quiet for a few minutes. Yugi did not know whether he should start talking, or wait for Yami to jump in. By the looks of it, Yami was struggling with conversations with himself. He was probably weighing out the different questions and probabilities. After watching him, Yugi finally could not be silent any longer.

"Yami, do you think what she said is true?," he asked. The shadow stirred, and looked over at him as if only just realizing he was sitting there.

"My logic wants to condemn it, but there was something familiar about what she said. Then again there is something familiar about her," he replied.

"So you believe her?," Yugi asked.

Yami sat for a moment not knowing how to exactly reply, "Yes."

"I don't know why she would say all that, or know so much about the millennium puzzle if it wasn't true, Yami," he got up and walked over to his shadow, "I wonder why it didn't help you remember anything."

"I don't know," he said solemnly, "but it didn't help. Did you see how upset she was when she finished? She tried to hide it, but I could see it, even sense it from her."

"Why do you think she is so bitter?," Yugi asked cautiously.

"5000 years of waiting only to find out that what you have waited for. . .," Yami replied closing his eyes, "Yugi, you had better get some sleep. You have school tomorrow."

Yugi reluctantly crawled under the sheets of his bed and closed his eyes. He wanted to help Yami and Aida. He did not know what part she played in helping Yami save the world like Ishizu had prophesized, but one more person could always help.

Aida stood by the window, gazing out at the silent streets below. Reliving everything that had happened so many years ago had not been easy. It had reminded her of everything she had been fighting for all those years. She was fighting to find him again. She was fighting to see him one more time, but why had he not remembered? Why was it, that she eventually remembered everything, especially if she came across something from the past. But even as she stood before him, relived everything, and even when she had kissed him when they first met up once more, he did not remember anything. Why after 5000 years of living, dying, fighting, and being condemned to lives of struggling for what seems so familiar, but it just out of reach. Why after all of that did she have to find that he remembered nothing? Once again her hopes were dashed, and she was shown how she would never truly be happy. It all showed her for payment of sins against the Pharaoh, she was to be taunted with his memory for all of eternity. She did not know if this were to be the last time he would grace the earth with his heavenly presence, but she knew that it would not end that sweetly for her. Just as fate and the gods had stripped Yami of all his memories for her to writhe in her sorrow without him, she would continue on to live again and again in that world until the fires of hell swallowed it up in a sweet, fiery death of flame and ash. She prayed for the day. She prayed for the day that her final death would come. Whether it would be easier or more painful than anything she had ever known, she did not care. All she wanted was for it all to end. Even if it meant she would be eternally trapped in the chasms of hell, being haunted by everything in her life that went astray and everything that she could never see or touch again, it would be better than roaming the earth wondering when Ra would make his final descent to earth to smite her in her everlasting misery.

"I still must keep promises," she said to an empty room. She promised all those thousands of years ago that she would always watch over and protect him, and she was going to keep that promise even if it meant being so close to something she could no longer have. Even if it meant she would have to be stung by those beautiful, amethyst depths time and time again, she had made a promise, and she was not going to break it.

Yugi was sitting in his class, dazing off into space thinking about the conversation he had with Yami. He told the others about it when he got to school that morning. They had the same shocked reaction he and Yami did after hearing the whole thing, but they too believed it. He was contemplating what to say to Aida when he got home when a quick rap at the door jolted him to his senses. The door opened and a student he had never seen before walked into the room. The new student handed a paper to the teacher, and then looked down at the ground. He had night-black hair that fell into his sharp, moon colored eyes. It had a spiky look to it, yet it fell like unkempt hair. He had the usual school uniform on, but he also had on a pair of black boots that looked deadly. The girls in the class instantly came to attention at the view of such an obviously attractive new guy. Anzu rolled her eyes at them while Jonouchi scowled at the newcomer.

The teacher said walking up to the front of the classroom, "This is our new student, Midayan. I'm sure you will be happy to welcome him to Domino High. Do you go by any other aliases, or do you use your full first name?"

"Dayan," he said quietly in a rather deep voice. The girls in the class practically had to wipe the drool from their desks as they leaned in to hear him answer.

"I don't like this guy," Jonouchi whispered to Yugi, "Something doesn't seem right about him."

"Jonouchi, you don't like any guy that is popular with girls," Anzu giggled, "Besides, you haven't even met him yet. He could be really nice."

"I can tell these things about people," he replied crossing his arms and pouting, "He is no good."

"I don't know," Yugi said cocking his head to the side as if it would reveal some hidden truth about Dayan, "There is something familiar about him."

"You can sit in the last seat of this row," the teacher said pointing to a seat a few places back from Yugi. Jonouchi glared at him the whole time he made his way to his seat, but Dayan did not look up once. He merely watched the floor pass in front of him, and when he sat down, he seemed to find his desktop interesting enough to stare at. Through the rest of class, Dayan continued to stare at his desk only looking up on a rare occasion to write down a note or two. He remained absolutely silent much to the dismay of the girls in the class. They all continued to glance around at him when the teacher's back was turned, and whisper to each other excitedly every time he looked up at the board.

"Did you see his eyes?!"

"They are so gorgeous!"

"Do you think he has a girlfriend?"

Jonouchi continued to steam as the whispers hissed around the classroom, but he tried to occupy himself with the clock. A recess break was coming closer, but the closer it got the clouds outside became darker. Hearts in the room started to sink as they realized going outside would not be possible that day. Mournful glances out at the sky flecked the classroom every minute that passed.

"Well, Yugi," Jonouchi whispered, "I guess this means we are dueling today."

This was the first time that Dayan's head inclined to look up for more than a few moments. He stared as Jonouchi brought his dueling deck from his pocket and laid it out on his desk. He then saw the guy Jonouchi was talking to reach into his own bag and pull out his own deck. Dayan's eyes widened, and he fought to keep a gasp from escaping him as he saw just a few feet from him was the King of Games himself. He knew that Yugi went to Domino High, but he did not think he would actually be in one of his classes with him.

"Yeah, I guess so," Yugi replied to Jonouchi as he set his deck on the desk, "But that is always fun. You want to play, Anzu?"

"No," she said resting her head in her hands, "I think I will just watch today."

The bell rang and Yugi and Jonouchi put their desks together and started to shuffle their decks. Anzu and Honda pulled up seats to watch. They drew their cards and Jonouchi was about to make his first move when he heard a high-pitched voice almost squeal with delight.

"So you're the new guy, huh?!," one of the girls in the class said to Dayan as she scooted a chair next to him. Most of the girls were sitting next to him, or pulling their seats closer.

"Yeah," he replied giving the squeaky girl a confused look, "I just moved here." A hint of a Scottish accent glazed his speech and almost sent the girls into seizures.

"Where are you from?," the squeaky girl asked.

"England," he replied wondering what could possibly make someone's voice so irritating.

"Wow," she said acting like she was really into what he was saying. He looked uneasily around at the girls that seemed to be drawing themselves closer to him by the second.

"So do you play any sports?," another asked him absent-mindedly running her hand through her hair trying to make it look wind-swept.

"No," he answered her, "I don't like sports."

"I bet you would be really good at them," another girl chimed in, "We are part of Domino High's cheerleading squad."

"Ok," he replied wondering what they wanted from him.

"If you ever need any help finding your way around the school, we would be happy to help," another said.

"That's ok," he said inching his way from a particularly close one, "I was already shown where all my classes are."

"That's too bad," she replied looking disappointed, "I hope you are in all my classes. Wouldn't that just be too awesome?"

"I guess," he said secretly praying that her classes were on the opposite side of the school from his, "Would you excuse me?" He got up much to the disappointment of the girls who all saw him out to the door. As soon as it shut behind him, they all went to their seats squealing and talking excitedly.

"Did you hear that accent?!"

"Why didn't anyone tell me my hair needed to be up?"

"Where do you think he lives?"

"My hair looked horrible down!"

"Do you think we can get his phone number?"

"He'll never like me now! Look at my hair!"

Anzu was giving the girls an annoyed look while Jonouchi was glaring angrily at the door.

"Jonouchi, are you going to move or what?," Yugi asked him as Jonouchi's stare was burning a hole through the door.

"What?," he said turning to see where the voice addressing him was coming from, "Oh, yeah. Here." He put down a weak monster in attack mode, and then turned back to the door. He moved around in his seat to get a better view of the hallway outside searching for the invader.

"Jonouchi, would you forget about him?," Anzu said seeing the horrid move he had just played, "You're getting angry over nothing." He ignored her as Yugi shrugged his shoulders and took out Jonouchi's monster and a hunk of his life points.

Jonouchi lost quickly, and did not even seem to mind. Yugi tried to get him to talk as they walked down the hallways after the recess, but he seemed lost in his own thoughts. They simply ignored him. It was only when Yugi suggested they go to the game shop to check out new cards that he seemed to perk up. He did not even notice that they passed Dayan, which was exactly the plan Yugi had in mind. Jonouchi immediately started talking about the cards he hoped he could find as they passed him. He was leaning against his locker with a solemn look on his face. Yet none of them noticed his gaze immediately follow them as they walked out the front doors of the school.

They all walked into the game shop to find a few people from school browsing around. One of whom was Ryou Bakura. He had become close friends of theirs during Duelist Kingdom. He looked up, and a smile spread across his face.

"Hey, Ryou!," Yugi said as he shut the door behind them.

"Hey, Yugi," he replied cheerfully, "I came to see if your Grandfather had any good cards for my deck."

"Yeah, that's what I'm here for," Jonouchi said as he rubbed his hands together and charged into the store examining the cards in the cases very carefully one by one. He was almost drooling on the glass between him and the cards he desperately wanted.

"So, Yugi," Ryou continued, "Are you going to enter the Battle City tournament?"

"Oh, yeah," Yugi said blushing a bit from forgetting about it completely, "We signed up already." Jonouchi beamed as he heard Yugi talk about him entering the tournament. He looked over the cards even more carefully. He had to prepare his deck for the tournament. He vowed to Yugi that he would help him, and nothing was going to stop him, but first he needed to start on perfecting his deck.

"I wonder why Kaiba decided to throw the tournament," Bakura wondered aloud.

"I don't know," Jonouchi replied, "But I'm gonna win and show up that rich, stuck-up prick!" Anzu started to denounce Jonouchi, but they heard a sharp gasp and breaking glass come from the doorway to the living room. They all turned to see Aida with a look of horror on her face standing above a broken glass of water. She had dropped it when she gasped. She did not move at all to even clean up the mess. She merely stood there, eyes wide with shock, staring at Ryou.

"Aida, are you all right?," Yugi asked wondering why she was looking at Ryou like that.

"Bakura," she barely mouthed, but Yugi could read her lips. She could not believe what she was seeing. She merely went for a drink, and when she came into the game shop to greet Yugi, there before her stood a version of the Tomb Robber. His features seemed softer, and he did not look as strong, but when she said those words, she saw something in his eyes flicker.

"Aida?," Anzu now said trying to snap her out of her trance.

She blinked a few times, and looked down at the broken glass and splattered water on the floor. "I. . .I'm sorry," she said bending down to pick up the shards of glass.

"Don't worry about that," Solomon said pulling her to her feet and going to get a broom.

"You just looked familiar for a moment," she said looking at Ryou. She quickly grabbed her bag and started toward the door, "I had better get going. I have got some things to do. I will catch you guys later." She then bolted out the door.

"What was that all about?," Jonouchi asked looking out the door at Aida's retreating back.

"I don't know," Yugi said then looked over at Ryou, "Have you guys met before?"

"No," he replied looking very puzzled, "Who is she?"

"That was Aida," Anzu replied, but she stopped looking over at Yugi. How was she to explain exactly who she was?

"She is a friend," Solomon replied, "She is just visiting while her apartment is renovated." Yugi smiled over at his grandpa in thanks for making it easier.

"Oh," he replied, "I see."

"Anyway," Jonouchi said ignoring the awkward silence, "I found some cards I. . ." But then they heard the bell on the door ring, and someone he was not happy to see walked in the door.

Dayan quietly walked in not looking at any of them. He no longer had his school uniform on. He had apparently changed, and he looked entirely different. If it was possible, he was more attractive than before. He had three hoop earrings in each ear, a black tank top with dyed black jeans, and some dangerous looking spikes on some bracelets around his wrists. The only thing that seemed out of place on him, was a small silver necklace around his neck. It looked like a woman's necklace, and certainly looked out of place among the rest of his apparel. He did not seem to care, and seemed to wear it proudly. He merely walked up to one of the cases and started to look at all the cards. Jonouchi's eyes narrowed immediately.

"Can I help you find anything?," Yugi's Grandpa asked Dayan as he looked up shocked that someone was addressing him.

"Just looking," he said.

"Hey, Dayan," Ryou said with a large smile on his face. Dayan looked around and seemed surprised to see Ryou standing there.

"You two know each other?," Jonouchi asked Ryou the anger in his face subsiding.

"Yes," he replied, "He was my best friend back in England. He's living with me and my family now."

"You're Yugi Motou," Dayan suddenly said. They all looked shocked that he actually spoke out first, "I read all about you back in England."

Yugi blushed, "Wow, people know about me from that far?"

"The Duelist Kingdom tournament was big news, but the defeat of Maximillion Pegasus was even bigger," he said with a shadow of a smile barely gracing his face.

"Well, then you must have heard about the second place winner in the tournament," Jonouchi said in a very cocky voice as if showing Dayan up.

"You must be Jonouchi Wheeler," he said quietly.

"That's right," Jonouchi said beaming.

"I heard you put quite an upset on Ryuzaki," Dayan said, "It would take quiet a duelist to take his Red Eyes Black Dragon."

"You heard about that?," Jonouchi asked slightly shocked, but then became cocky once again, "Then you must have also heard about Bandit Keith."

"Yes, I did," he said, "I read all about that duel. They published the finals card for card in a local game shop back in England. That was quite a duel."

"Thank you very much," Jonouchi said crossing his arms and leaning against the glass case of cards as if the defeat of Bandit Keith was nothing.

"So are you into duel monsters too?," Yugi asked with a big smile on his face. He was happy that Jonouchi was getting some recognition for how hard he worked at Duelist Kingdom.

"Yeah," he said turning back to Yugi, "I play a little. Maybe we could play each other sometime."

"That's cool," Jonouchi said in his cocky tone once again, "But I hate to say you don't have a chance of winning."

"I wouldn't be so confident, Jonouchi," Ryou said quietly grinning while looking at Dayan.

"What?," he asked.

Before Ryou could respond Dayan said, "Well, it was nice meeting you all, but I had better get going. See you guys later." They all said goodbye as they watched him walk out the door.

"Ryou, why did Dayan come to school today, when we are break now?," Anzu asked him curiously.

"He was going to come for a while, but I guess he just got the chance at the wrong time," Ryou replied. Anzu nodded her head, but she did not understand.

"Well, you guys," he said walking to the door, "I guess I had better be going too. I'll come by tomorrow with my deck, and maybe we will play a game."

"Alright," Yugi said smiling. Ryou walked out the door.

As he walked down the sidewalk toward his house, he suddenly was not himself. He slowly changed into a form of the Tomb Robber. A small, dark laugh escaped his lips as he calmly walked on. He knew why Dayan had come at that time in the year. He had felt her. He felt the presence of the empress when she awoke. Bakura felt it too, but he knew Dayan did not know what it was. He just came with no knowledge of what was in store for him. "I knew it," Bakura said to himself as he continued down the sidewalk, "First I find Mitonen, and now I find my old enemy. It is quite amusing how everything is falling into place perfectly. Things are about to change." He stopped in front of a building as his millennium ring that emerged from beneath his shirt started to glow. He smiled, "Prepare yourself, dear Ateyda, for the fight is coming for you again."

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I hope you guys liked that! Read and Review please!


	23. Chapter 23 Preparing for Battle City

I'm really sorry about the late update. I originally had the author's note up, because I realized how horribly late I was on an update. But here we are! Duels are coming next chapter!

Disclaimer: I do not own Yu-Gi-Oh.

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Aida walked up the stairs of her apartment. She did not want the rare hunters to attack her while she was unaware or asleep, so she agreed to go with Yugi, but she did not want to depend on him any longer. She also knew that if that white-haired guy was going to be around, it was better if she returned to her apartment again. She unlocked the door and walked inside to find the super had fixed the windows, but there was still broken glass all over the floor. She put her bag down, tossed down her mail, and went to grab a broom for the glass. She threw all the shards in the trash, and sat down at the counter in the kitchen. It felt good to be back in her own place again. She had not realized how much she had missed it.

She walked over to a linen closet in the hallway and opened the door. Instead of linens, however, there was a strange array of weapons and ancient looking items hanging on the walls and on shelves that lined the small space. She pulled a chest from a dark corner. It had Egyptian symbols carved over its dark, wooden surface. She opened it up, and pulled out several weapons and strange paraphernalia. If Bakura was to return, she would be ready.

She walked into the living room and picked up her forgotten mail. She never got that much seeing as how she tried to keep a low profile. There were a few bills, but stuck between them was a flyer about the Battle City tournament. It intruiged her a bit. She knew that Yami would not be able to resist it.

"Come one, come all to see the best players from around the world compete in the biggest battle tournament ever thrown in Duel Monster history," she read to herself. _'A duel monsters tournament in Domino, huh? It's thrown by the High Priest himself. Interesting, but I have a bad feeling about this.'_

She put the folded flyer into her pocket, went into her bedroom, and packed a bag. In light of the tournament, she would have to make certain preparations. She grabbed her sword and started to the door, but before she could touch the handle she felt a presence behind her. She whipped out her metal staff as the metal cling rang through the room and spun around ready to strike anything that moved.

"You are leaving?," Shadi asked from inside the apartment.

"I must," she said calming down, "There are some matters I need to tend to." She turned to leave.

"The Pharaoh is about to go through a trying time and great battle, yet you are leaving his side?," he almost taunted.

She stopped with her back still to him, but he could still feel the icy glare, "I would never leave Yami's side. You know that, so why would you say such a thing?"

"I was testing you," he replied plainly, "You still feel guilty for what happened 5000 years ago, do you not?"

"When you have nothing but eternity, it's hard to forget. Besides, I let him down, and there is no shame in feeling guilt for that."

"When will you see that it was not you who failed him, but the lines of fate ending for you?"

"Fate?," she asked simply turning around to face him. Her moon colored eyes were sharp and icy, "I've always heard you talk of fate as if it is some wonderful being that decides your destiny. As if the entire world is only spinning because fate decides it to be so. If this is true, then fate has damned me. It is no more my friend than the demons that haunt the realm of shadows, and as far as I'm concerned it can forget about me."

"It was your fate to be with the Pharaoh just as it was your fate to die that day!," Shadi said in a demanding voice, "Do you deny them both because of your own fickle mind?"

She laughed sardonically, "Why do you come here, Shadi? Why do you even care? You do not walk endlessly around this earth like I do for my sake. You do it because you promised Yami you would be by his side, so why do you continue to linger with me as well?"

"You are just as much a part of him, as he is of you. When I promised him, I promised you as well."

"Well, you needn't have. I can take care of myself. Now if you'll excuse me."

"Why do you dodge questions that would open yourself?," Shadi interjected.

"Why do you pry into me by asking them?," she spat back.

"I'm trying to show you how you are. You dwell on the past, but insist on being haunted by it. You close yourself off to everyone, even the very man who should be told everything about you and inside you. You deal with everything with an iron fist instead of a sharp wit like your brother would have. . ."

"Why do you bring him into this?," she demanded.

"You will find out in due time," he said simply, "You truly are his sister; with mirrored talents and aspects. . ."

"Truly _was_ his sister. He's dead, and is no longer a part of my life."

"You look at him in such a poor light?"

"Why should I dwell on his memory if he is long gone? It will only bring back pain that I do not need. In 5000 years and more lifetimes than I care to remember, the one thing that I have learned more than any is that forgetting things that cannot be fixed or brought back is the only way to survive. One can spend their entire lifetime wishing to see one single person again. I wished to see Yami and my brother. My brother is long gone, and I will never be able to leave this hell of a world to see him. He is best forgotten and laid to rest. I was able to see Yami once more, but he has forgotten every trace of me in his life. I mourned for my brother and yearned for the day I would see Yami again for _hundreds_ of lifetimes, and look what it has gotten me; nothing but a cold slap in the face from your beloved fate showing me why I am damned to an eternity of misery, but go on, Shadi. Talk of fate and its wondrous plan for us all. I've got better things to do than waste my time on it any longer. I will not leave Yami's side even if it means I have to be taunted by his presence every day, but I will not stand here and be goaded by you all day!" She walked out and slammed the door before he could say another word.

"In these 5000 years, my Queen, your heart has grown cold. A barrier of ice protects it from everyone," he walked over to the window to see her walking down the sidewalk, "Will you ever let down your guard, or are you too afraid the past will repeat itself and you will be scarred again?"

Yugi stood by the door looking out the window of the game shop. He could feel a cold draft of night air nip at his face. He searched the darkened streets and sidewalks, but saw now signs of life at all. Where had Aida gone? She left in a rush after walking in on all his friends, but the way she looked at Ryou was concerning. The moment she laid eyes on him something scared her, but what could possibly have been so scary about Ryou? Did it have anything to do with the Millennium Ring? Honda had rid them of it at Duelist Kingdom, so that was not a likely scenario, but he had read her lips. She had barely mouthed "Bakura". That was Ryou's last name, and he knew she did not know that, but he also knew that was what the spirit in the Millennium Ring had dubbed himself. Her description of the tomb robber named Bakura from the past certainly seemed to describe a harsher side of Ryou, but he was not sure if he was jumping to conclusions or if Ryou just resembled the entity from the past. Either way, Yugi could not understand what happened earlier that day, but without Aida's return, it made him feel even worse.

_"Yugi,"_ Yami said via the mind-link, _"You need to get some sleep. Tomorrow you will need to prepare for the Battle City Tournament. Do not worry about Aida. I'm sure she can take care of herself."_

_"I know, Yami. I just can't figure out what happened today. Why did she have that terrified look on her face?"_

_"I don't know, Yugi, but don't worry about that right now. Aida is very strong, and it would take a lot to beat her spirit but you've got the Battle City Tournament to think about, and you need some rest."_

Yugi treaded up to his room reluctantly, _"Do you think she'll come back?"_

The transparent spirit looked back at the door, _"I feel like she will, but knowing her, she will do it on her own terms. With Aida we should expect her to take the reigns herself."_

Yugi fell asleep rather quickly while Yami roamed around his soul room. He paced to and fro thinking about the tournament, Aida, the impending threat he had to stop, and everything that had come up on him. It seemed his mind never stopped working. He never ceased for a moment of the day or night. His high intellect caused his mind to constantly be reeling and never let him have a moment of rest or quiet, but he was used to it. It was often that very gift, curse, whatever you wanted to call it, that let him figure his way out of difficult situations. This tournament would be one of them. He had no idea what was waiting for him out there, but he was going to meet it head on no matter what the consequences. He did have one worry, however. No matter how much Yugi tried to convince him that he would be there for him, and help him with this task at hand, he worried for Yugi's safety. He would kill himself just to ensure Yugi's wellbeing if he had to. He did not want to see something happen to him. Not only would he never forgive himself, he would end up killing himself in misery at the thought that he harmed Yugi in some way. In all their trials together, he had created a very strong bond with the boy, and he loved him more than Yugi could probably even contemplate. He was his aibou, and nothing could ever change that. Let every adversary try as they might to take the puzzle away from them, take away everything, maybe even their lives, and it would never change the bond they held and would never deter the undying adoration Yami had for him. He came out of the puzzle and his transparent form watched Yugi sleep. He stroked a few stray strands of hair from Yugi's face. His sweet little aibou. . .

He sat down on the bed next to Yugi, and his mind changed over to Aida. Yugi had been very worried about her, and even though Yami told him not to worry, Yami couldn't help but wonder about her and where she was. She had just disappeared into thin air. Surely she had not run away. He could hardly believe everything she had told him. Had he really had someone 5000 years ago? Why did he have to forget that? It made sense, however. He could not even remember his real name let alone someone from his past, but he still felt it was important to try and remember. Though, try as he might, nothing would come to him. He knew it hurt her to think he had completely forgotten, but he wished she would understand that he had forgotten _everything_. Yugi had asked him why she was so bitter. Yami knew. That is exactly why he did not answer. He did not want to tell something like that to his aibou. He understood where Aida was coming from. For 5000 years she had lived and died for something, and when she finally found what she was looking for, all her hopes were slaughtered. She had lived and died, while he remained in the puzzle. He knew what it was like to see 5000 years flash by without any way to control or stop it. He remained in the scattered pieces of the puzzle feeling like he had been broken. His soul was only fragments of its former self. He had nothing, he knew nothing, and he had no one. He was blinded by darkness, and comforted only by the thought that the light might reach him one day. He knew not who he was, where he was, or if there was even a world anymore. His mind was numb, and he could not feel, see, taste, speak, or sense anything. His world was nothing but a black void of death. Was he dead? Was he alive? Nothing. Was it really him thinking, or were there demons lurking around him whispering horrible thoughts to him making him want the end of whatever hell he was trapped in. A hell it certainly was. He knew nothing but despair and being broken. He was not complete nor was he even there. It was just nothing. Everything was nothing. He held on to the singular notion that one day maybe he would see the light, and it would save him from the black oblivion that was his entity. May it all be damned. However, his light did come. After what seemed like an eternity, the light had come. He felt himself released, reborn almost. He still did not feel complete however. There was something missing in himself that he could not find, and to that very day he still had not found it. _'Maybe,' _he thought, _'Maybe in this tournament, I'll find it.'_ With that, he retired back to the puzzle to rest as best as he could with all the thoughts and pending enemies still reeling in his head. Where was Aida anyway?

A man stared in a dark corner of the room. He grinned at it as he lit his cigarette. To anyone else, the corner was empty, but he knew there was someone standing there waiting for him to answer. He took his time in striking the lighter, inhaling the sweet flavor, and then letting the promiscuous puffs flow from him like sweet smog.

"I suppose you expect us to just give it up to you with no repercussions," he said smiling, knowing that the dark-shrouded figure was not.

"I left it here. Everyone knew who left it, and now I want it back," a woman's voice came from the corner. Aida slowly came into the light, "Are you going to give it to me? Or am I going to have to take it by force?"

"That little item you left is worth a lot of money. I'm not responsible for anything coming up missing after it has been here for over twenty years. You were thought to be dead," he said as he sucked in more of the hazy smoke, "It's amazing that twenty years hasn't taken a day from your pretty face, but other things do change. What makes you think I still have it and haven't hocked it already?"

"I know you, and you wouldn't sell it until it got you a fair enough price to get you out of this dump," she said kicking over some of the things decorating the room, "Now hand it over."

Three men from behind the desk walked around it and surrounded her. "We aren't cross, are we?," the man sitting behind it said.

She eyed the men closing in on her. This was not good, but three she could handle. If she needed to take them out, then that is what she would do, but she wanted to get what was hers and get out of there.

Dayan sat on a bench outside a card shop looking through his new pack of cards with the afternoon sun crisping his skin. He searched through them picking out which cards would be useful. He was preparing his deck. Known only by Ryou and Seto Kaiba, he was going to play in the Battle City tournament. Kaiba had indeed done his homework on duelists for his tournament. Dayan had only dueled on London's underground where dueling usually was much more serious than a friendly game. He had made a name for himself among the stragglers and thieves. It was nothing to be proud of, but he had won a lot of money, plenty of favors, and most of all respect. Dueling on the London underground was much more dangerous than many knew. Sometimes lives were put on stake let alone money and cards. Dayan had gambled a lot in his lifetime on a duel, but somehow he always felt that even if he lost, he was not losing much in the end, even if he was gambling his life.

He was mildly looking through the cards seeing if there were any he could use when one of them caught his eye. Maha Vailo peeked from behind another card. He stared at it for a moment. It almost felt as if it were burning under his fingers. He knew it meant something. There was something special about it that he could not figure out. That happened a lot to him. He would always find himself wondering if there was some hidden truth about the world he did not know. He would have strange dreams sometimes; dreams that were so real they confused him when he woke. He could not figure out where he was, what he was doing, or even who he was as he sat up in a cold sweat. He would then realize it was only a dream, or was it? He dreamt of himself in every country imaginable, speaking every language possible, and sometimes he would even dream about his own death. His death always came in the same way, however. He would feel immensely sad like a dreading depression. It was as if he was searching but all hope was lost. A black cloud would shroud him, blinding his sight, and obstructing his senses. Then he would feel the claws of the reaper dig into his skin as it steadied its prey. The sharp swoop of the scythe forged from the flames of hell as it swung toward him. The sickening slice as he was cut in half, watching his blood spew and gurgle from his other half while the hot liquid shot through his mouth, choking him in its gory effluence. He would lie in his own blood, shattered, while looking up at the demon before him. It wore rotted, human flesh like a cloak. Its own body was cavernous filled only with the screams and blood-curdled cries of the damned that were forever lost in its putrid, decayed corpse. It would make its final attack, and slay every hope he ever had.

He looked over at the people around him. They walked about getting errands done, talking to their friends and loved ones, and all the while he wondered. He wondered if they too had dreams about things they could not understand. He wondered if they were haunted every day like he was. Did they get up every morning with their pillow soaked with tears and sweat? Did they always have a deep depression lingering with them no matter what happy occasion? In every second of their miserable lives, did they feel like someone had ripped something away, and were dangling it just out of reach? He felt empty inside as if a part of him were missing, and he had no idea how to get it back. He shook his head trying to free his mind of his thoughts. It was not the time to be thinking about things like that.

He brought out his deck and added the new card. He stared at his deck for a moment. He had been in many tough situations where it was necessary for him to duel, and it was the deck that had brought him victory every time. It was a part of him in every way possible. He kept his total faith in it, and never let it waver. It was one of only two prized possessions that he ever held dear. The only other thing he cared deeply for was the necklace he was never without. It was a small silver pendant with a moon over looking mountains and stars. He did not remember where he got it from, he only knew that it meant something. Whether it was from a mother he never knew, or he just found it on the ground, he did not know. He had it since before he could remember, and it never left him. It was almost as if it was trying to tell him some hidden truth about himself, but he could never understand its message.

"You still have that necklace," a woman's voice came from behind him. He turned around to see a woman in Egyptian robes with a veil over half her face. She had gold adornments about her that looked old, ancient even.

"Who are you?," he asked curiously.

"I see your memories have not returned yet," she said taking a seat next to him, "My Millennium Necklace told me that you would remember me, but you do not. Maybe I am here to invoke your mind."

"What are you talking about?," he asked. Who the hell was this crazy woman?

"That necklace you have is over 5000 years old. It was given to an Egyptian queen by her brother all those years ago," she explained.

"How do you know that?," he asked. There was something vaguely familiar about her. Though he could only see her eyes and hear her voice, something was digging at him trying to remember her.

"I knew the queen's brother very well," she stated plainly.

"What? How can that be? You said that was over 5000 years ago," he said. This woman _was_ crazy!

"Maybe this will help you," she said as she took the veil from her face. Ishizu Ishtar gazed over at Dayan wondering if it would jolt him at all.

Dayan just stopped and stared at this woman. Very clearly she was gorgeous and he was very attracted to her, but it was more than that. Something inside him ached for her like she was an old friend, but he felt more than just an old friendship for her. He could not explain his want to hold her. His heart jumped and threatened to burst out of his chest. He was mesmerized by her every line and curve. Her eyes beckoned him to her, and he almost felt himself fall into her. He could not explain why he wanted to kiss her, and feel her arms around his neck. Why was this happening to him? It did not make any sense.

"W. . . What's your name?," he stammered just gaping at her beauty.

"My name is Ishizu, but you may call me Isis," she replied.

He felt another jolt. Isis; that meant something! He knew it! There was something in his heart that was dying to get out. It wanted to explode out of him and scream. What was it about her? He had seen plenty of pretty girls before, but none had affected him this way. There was something about her that seemed all too familiar, and even though he could not explain it, he begged her to give him a reason to touch her soft, bronze skin, but before he knew it, his wish was granted. She leaned forward suddenly and their lips met.

Like fire blazing through his veins, it spread from his lips, to his cheeks, through his face, and all down his body to his fingertips and toes. It was the most amazing thing he had ever known. He had just met this woman, but he wanted more. He put his arms around her waist and pulled her in deeper wanting taste her kiss. It was then that something flashed in his mind; an image of the same woman on his lips at this very moment, walking through a desert by his side. Before he could do anything, his memories and long forgotten emotions came rushing back. He pulled back and fell off the bench onto his knees. He was panting and holding his throbbing head as every memory painful, sweet, heart-wrenching, and horrific flooded through his veins and filled him completely. Every inch of his skin prickled as he felt the world around him start to sway to and fro. He could hear his own heart beating into his ears like a drum. All the blood in his body felt like it was collecting in his brain, and his head felt like it wanted to burst from the pressure of the crimson liquid. Just as he thought he could not take anymore, it slowed and subsided while he was still on his knees. He slowly raised his head and looked up at the sky. It had happened again. He had been reborn again. He had done it countless times, but each was more depressing than the last. The whole cycle had started again. He would never lose his determination, but every time he came back, he felt he had lost a part of his sanity. Its repetitive nature ate away at him taking of piece of him time and time again. He never knew if he would find the person he was searching for and be able to right what had gone wrong, but even though he tried to hold hope, it would always end in a sour, tumultuous defeat. He would continue his search for his sister trying to rectify the wrong he had committed against her so long ago.

He would always feel her when her memories would awake. At first he would not know what it was, but as soon as he had awoken as well, he went in search of her. He hated first getting his memories back, however. It meant he had to start the process all over again; searching for her, finding her dead, dying not long after, and being reborn once more to search for her again. Something was different this time, however. Isis was standing before him.

"Isis!," he cried as he flung his arms around her. He held her close and never wanted to let go. He had not seen his love in 5000 years. He would often think about her when he had his memories, but even when he didn't, he would dream about her. That was the only way he could ever be with her for all those years. It was in his dreams. It was always the same dream as well. She was standing in Egyptian robes flowing all around her, accenting her perfection. She would smile at him and say "I will wait." Then it would end in its sweet briefness.

Ishizu pulled back and gazed into his sharp eyes, "I can hardly believe you are finally here. I would see visions of your return with my necklace, but the time has finally come."

"I've waited so long to hear your voice," he said and captured her lips once again. It was a moment he had waited so long for. He had yearned for her, but never had he ever imagined that she would one day return as well. This could mean only one thing.

He pulled away, "The Pharaoh has returned?"

She laughed at his abruptness, "Yes. He has, and she has already met up with him."

"You mean. . ."

"Yes, Ateyda has returned and met up with the Pharaoh."

He pulled away, but held onto her hands, "You must take me to her."

"She is somewhere you already know."

"Where?"

"She is staying with a recent acquaintance of yours; Yugi Motou."

He thought for a moment, "Yes, it all makes sense. He looks very similar to the Pharaoh, so he has to be the Pharaoh's vessel. The long-awaited prophecy is coming true! Some great battles are ahead, and I will not miss a minute of it! Isis, I have waited for this for 5000 years."

"Yes, and you will need to aid the Pharaoh just as Ateyda will. I must leave you now, but we will see each other again soon."

He did not want to see her go. He wanted to protest it, but he knew just as well as she did that they both must continue on their paths to help the Pharaoh despite their need for each other. So he gave her one last kiss before he watched her leave. He still felt her on his lips. They burned and ached with her caress, and he was almost in a trance. There was another important item to be taken care of at that moment, however. He had to find his sister. It had been 5000 years since he had seen her as well, and he knew she did not know of his presence. He just had to find her.

The bell above the door rang through the Kame Game shop, and Solomon Motou looked up to see Ryou come through the door.

"Why hello, Ryou! Come to see some new cards?," he asked hopefully.

"Actually, I'm here to see Yugi. Is he in?," Ryou asked politely.

"Yes, he's upstairs in his room. You can go on up," Solomon replied.

Ryou walked up the stairs and found Yugi's room easily. It was not hard to figure out it was behind the door with the gigantic Dark Magician poster. He knocked softly and heard Yugi call through the door. He slowly opened it to see Yugi's deck scattered all over the floor.

"Hey, Yugi!," Ryou greeted the small teen, "What are you doing?"

"I'm preparing my deck," Yugi said smiling, "I've got to be ready for the Battle City Tournament. It kicks off tomorrow."

"I'm rather excited, really," Ryou said sitting down on the other side of Yugi's cards, "Is Aida around?"

Yugi looked up at him confused, "Uh, no she's not. Do you know where she is? You haven't seen her in town or anything, have you?"

Ryou returned the confused look, "You mean you don't know where she is?"

"When she left yesterday, she never came back. Anzu stopped by her apartment this morning, but she called me and said she wasn't there either."

"Oh, my," Ryou said.

_"Damn!," _Bakura thought hearing this, _"Where did she run off to? She better not have run away. She should know better than that. I shouldn't worry, though. I'll find her one way or another. She wouldn't leave the Pharaoh if her very life depended on it."_

There was another knock on the door. Dayan walked in.

"Hey, Dayan!," Ryou waved at him. Looking at Ryou, it hit Dayan. Ryou's last name was Bakura. That meant he was none other than the reincarnation of the Tomb Robber Bakura himself. The Gods liked their irony. His best friend was the reincarnation of the very man who wanted his sister dead, beat her within an inch of her life, and whom he hated with every beat of his heart. His eyes narrowed and he accidentally let out a long string of Egyptian curses.

"What?," Yugi asked confused.

Dayan realized what he was doing, "Oh, nothing. Sorry. I just thought I'd stop by. I hope you don't mind." He tried to cover up his accident. Yugi seemed to buy it, but Dayan noticed something flicker in Ryou's eyes.

_"Aha. I see, Mitonen. You are back. . ,"_ Bakura thought watching the scene through Ryou's eyes, _"It's about time. The fun is about to begin."_

"So where are your other friends?," Dayan asked Yugi as he sat down on the floor.

"Well, I imagine that Jonouchi is at home getting ready for the tournament. Anzu and Honda are probably at home as well, but I don't know where Aida is," he replied looking solemn on the latter.

"Aida?," he tried to ask surprised. _'That has to be her!'_

"Oh, yeah, you haven't met Aida yet. She's been staying with us for a while. Ryou met her yesterday," Yugi explained, but then quickly stopped remembering the odd situation.

Dayan looked over at Ryou who gave him an unsettling look. What was it about Ryou? Was Bakura, that damned Tomb Robber from so long ago, really in there? Sure, some strange things had happened back at their old school, but was it really Bakura? As he gazed deep into Ryou's eyes, that question was answered for him. There was no doubt in his mind who that smug grin and sharp stare belonged to. He wondered if Yugi had any idea about Ryou's other presence. With the Millennium Puzzle around Yugi's neck, Dayan had no doubt that he knew of the Pharaoh, yet he did not dare say anything with Ryou and possibly Bakura right there to hear.

"You don't have any idea where she went?," Dayan asked innocently as if only out of plain curiosity.

"No. It was strange. She just left yesterday and we haven't heard or saw her at all," Yugi said scratching his head, "I don't have any idea of where she might be or might have gone, but I guess she can take care of herself."

Dayan pretended to look at his watch, "Oh, I didn't realize the time. I'm sorry this was such a short visit, Yugi, but I've got to be going. I guess I'll see you tomorrow."

Yugi looked at him surprised as he turned to leave, "Ok. See you tomorrow, Dayan," he turned to Ryou after Dayan left, "That was strange."

Ryou turned toward the door with Bakura's amusement flashing in his eyes, "Yes, I suppose it was, but Dayan is always like that. Anyway, do you want to have a quick duel?"

Yugi brightened up, "Sure! I could use some practice for tomorrow!"

Dayan pounded up the sidewalk from the game shop. He had to find her. He could not take it any longer. He hated to leave Yugi hanging, and he hated giving Bakura any hints about anything even more, but he had a mission he had been carrying for 5000 years. He was not about to stop just to show courtesy or hide like a coward from the damned Tomb Robber.

Aida sat on a chair in a dark room. The door was her only way out, yet it had been locked. _'Stupid, bastard,'_ she thought, _'He knew I would not be able to take on more than three. That's why he stalled. He was calling the rest up.'_ She started to contemplate her escape from the room when the door opened. She reached for her staff to find it gone. The bastards had taken it, but luckily for her they did not know where everything was.

"There's no need to be hostile," the man said walking in with a few of his men, "I have a proposition for you."

"And that would be?," she asked.

"Glad you want to get to the point," he said taking out a stack of papers, "If you sign this release, then I will return your possessions."

"What is it and what does it say?," she asked not liking it already.

"It is a contract. You will fight under me, and give all your profits to me. I will provide you a place to stay, of course, and proper training, if needed, but you will belong to me," he said with a smug grin on his face.

"And what the hell makes you think I would agree to such terms?"

"If you want your things back, you will have to abide by my rules."

She smiled, "I don't think so." With a flash, she threw three very small tipped knives into the men around him. They looked almost like needles. They did not kill or harm the men very badly, but they all fell to the ground. Their systems had ingested the small amount of poison on the tips, and they were out cold. She ran up to the man holding up the contract and threw him to the ground. She put her knee in his back while holding up his head in the crook of her arm.

"You bitch," he barely choked out.

"Now tell me before I get angrier," she said through her teeth, "Where is that sword?!"

The next day, Yugi woke up to see that Aida had still not returned. There had been no calls from her just as she had not stopped by at all. He wondered what was going on. She just disappeared into thin air with no notice at all. Had she been mad at something? Had he done something to offend her? He did not think so, but he could not think of anything that would make her vanish without a trace.

Yami was putting the finishing touches on the deck while Yugi looked through the new rules of the tournament. Kaiba had instated some new rules that would require a lot of strategy, and was indeed much more difficult to master than the Duelist Kingdom rules.

"It's finished," Yami said laying the finished deck out on the desk, "Yugi, I want you to know, I believe in this deck we have created, but I will not be able to win without you."

"Don't worry, Yami," Yugi said, "I will never leave your side."

"Thank you, aibou," he replied, "Now, let's go. The tournament is about to begin."

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Read and review please! Stay tuned for the Battle City tournament next chapter!


	24. Chapter 24 First Duel of the Future

Well, the Battle City tournament is here! I will not discuss the real duels too much, because we have already seen them numerous times and we already know what happens with out reiterating it all. Anyway, Dayan will show you another point of Battle City. I did not give him a fake deck that I just put a bunch of rare cards in. I gave him my deck, because it just seemed more fair that way. So without further ado, enjoy!

Disclaimer: I do not own Yu-Gi-Oh!.

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Dayan walked through the main streets of Domino. He had his Duel Disk on his arm awaiting the official launch of the tournament. He still had not found his sister, but maybe if she had already met up with the Pharaoh, she would be watching the tournament. He missed her dearly, but it was finally time for them to meet again. All those years he searched for her tirelessly, eventually he realized he would not see her until it was time for the Pharaoh's resurrection. He never stopped searching, however. He did not want to admit to giving up. He would not submit to that, but now the Pharaoh had returned. It was time for everything to finally come to a head, and he would be there for every minute of it. It made his thoughts return to Isis once more. He wondered where she was, what she was doing, and if she was thinking about him. He longed to see her again, but he knew he must find his sister first.

A giant shadow was suddenly cast over him. He looked up to see a giant blimp sailing overhead. Seto Kaiba's face was plastered on the giant screen attached to the blimp. Dayan's eyes widened as he realized who Kaiba really was. He would recognize that face anywhere. It was the very man who had killed his sister, and had eventually killed him as well. He seethed while gazing up at Kaiba's image looking down at all the duelists gathered for his tournament.

"Greetings, duelists," Kaiba's voice boomed from the ship and all through the streets and alleys, "It's time to put your dueling skills to the test. I hope none of you entered my tournament looking for friendly competition. Battle City's gonna be an all out war. But before my Battle City tournament begins, I thought I'd let you all know what you're in for in case you want to back out now. Let's begin with my new duel disks. Everyone who _I_ decided was good enough received one. With it, you can duel anytime, anywhere, and they contain a tracking chip that allows me to watch every move you make."

A man in a business suit next to Dayan spoke up then, "All that for a card game?"

Dayan nearly choked, _'A card game?!!'_

Kaiba continued, "Next, Let's talk about the most important tournament rule. The loser of each duel is required to fork over their rarest card to the winner. If you don't have the guts to risk losing your precious cards, then I suggest you forfeit now."

"Giving up my rarest card?," Dayan said to himself as he gazed down at his deck, "If I have to, I will, but how could I possibly part with one of my best cards?"

"And anyone who's foolish enough can challenge me to a duel, because I'll also be competing in this tournament," Kaiba boomed through the crowds.

"And I plan on it," Dayan seethed while glaring up at Kaiba's pompous face above the city.

"But don't get your hopes up, because I intend to win, and there's one duelist out there I can't wait to defeat," Kaiba then stopped and looked almost as if he were gazing through the crowd looking for the "one duelist."

"Yugi," Dayan said aloud, "But fat chance Kaiba has. With the Pharaoh on his side, Yugi is unbeatable."

"And speaking of winning, only the eight best duelists will make it to the final round," Kaiba's blimp was beginning to take another sweep over the street Dayan was on, "And these finals will be held in a hidden location. In order to find the finals, you'll need these locator cards. You've each received one with your duel disk, but don't get too excited, because one is not enough. You'll need six of them to make it to the tournament finals. Every time you win a duel, you'll get a locator card from your losing opponent. When six cards are stacked together, they produce a map of Battle City, and activate a global positioning satellite which will transmit the location to you, but the tournament finals are a long way away and most of you will be eliminated way before that. Alright, everything I just said and more can be found in my tournament rule book. Just remember only one player can win and claim the title of number 1 duelist in the world."

Dayan heard almost every duelist around him shouting out their claims on the title, and how they would be the ones to win it all. Dayan laughed a bit at their enthusiasm and said very quietly to himself, "And that winner will be Yugi."

"Now get ready duelists," Kaiba concluded, "Let the tournament begin!"

Everyone cheered and hooted their praise, but quickly started milling around each other scoping out the play.

"Alright, Kaiba," Dayan said as he stuck his deck into the duel disk, "Let's get this going. Though you may not remember, I'm coming after you. 5000 years may have passed, but my feelings toward you certainly haven't changed, so here I come."

Seto walked around his room while cruising 4000 feet in the air aboard the Kaiba Corp. airship. He walked over to a small circular window to gaze out at the sky above and clouds below. The air was crisp and thin even though he could not feel it brush against his face. The sun was peaking over the clouds giving them the look of a landscape created by a painter. The soft, white clouds were glazed with yellow and orange brushstrokes. All of the beautiful sights were not coveted by the infamous Seto Kaiba, however. He did not bore himself with such boring frivolity as that. He had much more important things on his mind.

His gaze hardened as he thought of Yugi. Yugi was his ultimate rival, but after the Battle City tournament was over and done with, he would finally show Yugi what a real duelist was. He hated thinking about Duelist Kingdom. The tactics he had used to defeat Yugi were underhanded, but Yugi was such a good duelist it was his last chance. He smiled upon the picture of Obelisk. Yugi did not stand a chance now. Duelist Kingdom _was_ a long time ago, and now his deck was structured completely different to compensate for his Egyptian God card. He savored the thought of defeating Yugi once and for all, and claiming the title of Game King. He had once had the title of dueling champion. He was the glory of the dueling world, but then a pint-sized porcupine came along and stole it all away. He had to admit that he had owed Yugi for saving his and his brother's life from Pegasus's illusions, but that was all in the past now. This was the future, and Yugi's demise was the beginning stage of it all.

Something at the back of his mind started to tug at him. He felt his blood burn with anger as an image made its way across his thoughts. Every time he closed his eyes he saw long, ebony hair and harsh, moon-colored eyes. He cursed himself. Why the hell was she on his mind? He had a company, the duel tournament, and his plan to take Yugi down all in front of him waiting for him to take it all, but he could not squeeze her image out of his mind.

"Kuso!," he hissed between clenched teeth. What the hell was wrong with him? All he wanted was to claim the former glory he once knew, and collect the God cards to create the most powerful deck in all of duel monsters, yet he could not help but wonder where she was. He vowed the day she escaped from his limo that he would not ponder on her again, but that was like trying not to cough. He would find himself thinking of ways to come in contact with her through Yugi. Why not kill two birds with one stone? Duel Yugi and take away his title, and then sweep her away from him as well. He would then mentally curse himself for even thinking about the opposite sex. He did not have time for that kind of thing, but she ran across his thoughts again. Did he?

Dayan walked down the streets a bit sizing up his opponents looking for just the right one. He knew when he would find his opponent. It was something in their eyes that told him they had experience. He viewed each one of them looking to see if they had the right aura about them, but before he could challenge any of them a voice called out.

"You're just a little kid, dammit!," a guy screamed, "Who's helping you?!"

"You dare question my dueling skills?!," a little girl's voice screeched.

Dayan ran toward them to see a burly looking duelist staring down at a minuscule, blonde-headed girl who did not look like she was going to back down. They both were glaring at each other menacingly, when the taller of the two did a better job of it.

"I'm not handing over my locator card to a child!," he yelled.

"You'd better give me that card! It's Battle City rules! Besides, they already know you lost to me, so you have to give up your only locator card to me!," she said haughtily.

"Fine!," he tossed the card at her knowing he had been defeated, "Take it. It's not like you'll make it to the finals with it anyway." He walked away grumbling profanities under his breath. The girl took a moment to stash her new locator card with the other before she turned her gaze upon Dayan.

"What are you looking at?," she snapped, but then smiled at seeing his duel disk, "You look like an easy target. You want to duel?"

"I don't duel children," Dayan said mockingly. This kid was a brat! He needed to show her the ropes.

"What?! I'm a Battle City duelist no matter what my age!," she seethed, "My name is Rebecca Hawkins, and I bet I could duel circles around you!"

Dayan shrugged, "If you truly want to fight me, I won't deny you. Your locator cards are as good as anyone else's. Besides, I think I would like to show you what being a respectable duelist is all about."

"Respectable? What's that supposed to mean?!"

"It means that you do not respect your opponent, and you do not greet your opponent with honor and accreditation. I will show you what it means to be a reputable duelist."

"Whatever," Rebecca replied and shoved her deck into her disk, "Let's just get on with this!"

Dayan slid his deck into his disk as well. He was ready. This was his moment. This was the moment when he would prove himself, and finally let them all know what kind of duelist he was. Anzu came running up to them. She had recognized Dayan walking through the streets and wondered if he knew were the others were, but to see Rebecca facing him was a surprise she was not prepared for. She did not say anything to interrupt, but stood anxiously at the sides awaiting the bout that was ready to commence.

"Let's do this!," Rebecca cried out, "You're going to wish you never met me! I'm going to take you down!"

"We shall see," Dayan replied. He looked over at Anzu who gave him a reassuring nod. "Alright! Activate holoimagers!" The holoimagers from the duel disk shot out, and placed themselves at the corners of their makeshift arena. The duel disks powered up, and the battle was ready to begin.

"Alright, me first!," Rebecca said. She looked carefully at her hand, and then smiled deciding on a card. "I set this card face-down in defense mode." A large holographic card appeared out of nowhere face-down. "Now, let's see what you've got."

"Ok then," Dayan said as he drew his card, "I summon Opticlops in attack mode!" A holographic card appeared face-up and light shot up to reveal a single-eyed fiend waiting to attack. "Now, Opticlops, attack her defense!"

"Ha! I knew you didn't have enough brains to see my strategy," Rebecca laughed, "You've just attacked my Spirit of the Harp! She has a total of 2000 defense points. Your wimpy Opticlops has only 1800 attack points, so you lose 200 life points! Ha ha! Fantastic!"

"Damn it!," Dayan cursed as his life points dropped to 3800.

"Come on, Dayan!," Anzu called out, "You can do it! I know you can!"

"Cheering isn't going to help," Rebecca said quietly, "Not when you are up against a genius like me, but your tiny brain probably couldn't have thought of that. I set one card face-down. Your turn."

"Even geniuses have their mishaps," Dayan said as he drew another card. He smiled as his eyes gazed upon the image of his Summoned Skull.

"What are you smiling about?," Rebecca asked, "There aren't any cards in your deck that can get through my defenses."

"And how would you know my deck?," Dayan replied laughing, "You don't, because I am about to bring forth my Summoned Skull!"

"What?," Rebecca cried.

"I sacrifice my Opticlops to summon my favorite monster," Dayan said as he exchanged one card for another, "Come forth my Skull!"

Opticlops disappeared from the field and Summoned Skull rose in its place. "Now I set one card face down." Dayan laid down his Nutrient Z trap card. If she somehow did find a way to destroy Summoned Skull, his trap card would protect him against a powerful offense, "Now you had better be prepared, for I am about to attack."

"No!," Rebecca growled.

"Dayan puts on a totally different face when he duels," Anzu said in amazement at his forcefulness.

"Yes," Dayan replied, "Now my Skull attack her Spirit of the Harp!"

"Yeah!," Anzu cheered, "Take her down! I had no idea he had this much skill."

"You'll pay for that one!," Rebecca sneered as she drew a card, "Now it's time for some real damage!" A smile crept its way onto her face. Dayan wondered what card she drew, but he did not have to wait long.

"Why is she smiling?," Anzu asked no one in particular.

"You can say goodbye to your Summoned Skull!," Rebecca called out, "Pity, he didn't last long, and he is your favorite monster. Now I play my Tribute to the Doomed!"

"What? No!," Dayan cried. His Skull was done for. His trap card was only for attacks that would damage his life points more than 2000, not defending against a magic card.

"I discard one card from my hand, and in exchange I get to destroy your Summoned Skull!," Rebecca was now laughing and jumping with giddy delight as Dayan's monster was engulfed in burial bandages and taken down.

"Don't think I am going to give up, Rebecca!," Dayan yelled out in the middle of her joyous celebrating.

"Well, then I don't want you to think that my turn is over!," she cried, "Now I summon the Koumori Dragon in attack mode. Alright, dragon, attack his life points directly!" Dayan watched helplessly as his life points dropped to 2300. "You are no match for me."

"Come on, Dayan!," Anzu now yelled out to him, "Don't let her walk all over you! Show her your true skill!"

Dayan nodded and drew a card. "Ok, I will set one card face down. Then I summon another Opticlops, but that's not all. I also play this magic card. The Yami field card! It covers the entire field in darkness that increases the power of spell casters and fiends by 200 points! Opticlops, attack her Koumori Dragon!"

"Yes!," Anzu cheered, "That's more like it, Dayan!"

"Not so fast!," Rebecca said, "I activate my face-down card. Negate attack!"

"A trap card?," Dayan asked.

"Yes, Negate attack ends your battle phase right here and now, so you can't defeat my dragon."

"Damn," Dayan said as he glared at the trap card on the field. _"She has good cards and strategies,"_ he thought, _"But that won't save her."_

"Now it is my turn," Rebecca said as she drew a card, "Alright! Whoo hoo! I sacrifice my Koumori Dragon to set this card on the field in defense mode, and then I lay one card face-down. Your turn!"

"All she can do is defend?," Anzu said to herself, "But she acted happy like she did something. What is she up to?"

Dayan drew a card, _"She must have a strong defense. If she sacrificed something just to put it in defense mode, we aren't talking small business."_ He looked up at her, "Alright, Rebecca. Take this! I activate my Axe of Despair magic card, and I equip it to my Opticlops making his attack points 3000!"

"Whoa! That's a powerful move!," Anzu said in awe of the Imp's impenetrable power.

"Now, attack her defense card!," he yelled. _"I hope this works."_

"Ha!," Rebecca yelled, "Did you forget about my face-down card? I activate Mirror Force! With this trap card, I can destroy all of the monsters you have in attack mode! That destroys your Opticlops!"

"Shit!," Dayan cursed.

"Now, now," Rebecca teased, "The language isn't needed. Even if you are about to be defeated by someone half your age! Ha! That is what you get for going up against a genius! You are going to lose and you haven't even touched my life points yet! Now for my turn."

"Not so fast, Rebecca," Dayan said, "I activate one of my face-down cards. Michizure!"

"What?," she cried, "Oh no!"

"That's right," Dayan taunted, "My Michizure card lets me destroy one monster on the field if one of my monsters is sent to the graveyard." Rebecca's face down card revealed itself as the millennium shield, but was soon destroyed by Dayan's trap.

"No, no, no!," she cried, "You are so mean! I'm going to get you for this! I draw!" Rebecca drew a card, and then paused.

"Are you going to show me one of your genius moves, or are you just going to stand there all day?," he said taunting her.

"Enough! Don't interrupt me while I'm thinking!," she reviewed her hand again, "You may have destroyed my shield, but don't think it will stay gone! I play my Monster Reborn card and bring back my Millennium Shield! I set one monster in defense mode. I will finish my turn by setting one card face-down. Try and defeat that powerful move! It is a shame that you are going to be defeated, and you haven't even touched my life points!"

"I wonder why she set that card face-down in defense mode. My life points were wide open for an attack. It must be a trap. I have no card in my hand that can take down the Millennium Shield, so I must resort to defending," Dayan said as he drew a card, "This may work. I play my own Monster Reborn and bring back my Opticlops."

"What? Opticlops?," Rebecca laughed hysterically, "You think you can win with that? I wish you would give up on that monster once and for all. You are even dumber than I thought."

"Opticlops may not be able to defeat your monsters, but it is a good sacrifice so that I can set this in face-down in defense mode. I finish my turn by setting one card face-down." Dayan's fiend disappeared in a flash of light, and a face-down, defense card appeared in its place.

"That is the best you can do?," she said in shock, "Well, you are going to lose this duel fast. This wasn't even a challenge! You are a minor defeat on my way to the finals. Thanks for making this so easy! My draw." She drew a card. "I now summon a very powerful monster! This card is my Susa Soldier! It may return to my hand at the end of my turn, but this baby's got 2000 attack points without needing a sacrifice! Alright, no waiting around! Attack his defense monster!"

"You've just attacked my Labyrinth Wall," Dayan laughed, "This defensive wall has 3000 defense points!"

"No! That means I lost 1000 life points!"

"Ha! Now you are in trouble!," Dayan yelled.

"I don't think so!," Rebecca yelled back. "I play my face-down card. The Pillager!" Rebecca walked over to Dayan with triumph on her face. With the Pillager card, she could see all the cards in Dayan's hand, and select one to take.

"Let's see what you've got!," she said. Dayan reluctantly shoved them at her. He knew which one she would pick.

"Yes! I want this one!," she walked back to her original position.

"I wonder which one she took," Anzu said aloud, "Dayan does not look happy."

"Alright, Rebecca," Dayan said as he drew a card. Her Susa Soldier disappeared from the field and she returned the card to her hand. He stared at the monster in his own hand that he had drawn. It was the only means of his salvation, but in order to take her down completely, he would have to do it all in one turn. He only had two monsters in his hand, so he would have to leave his life points vulnerable for a few turns. He had no other choice, "I pass this turn."

"Well, that was certainly a dumb move. You must realize that you have no chance of winning. Now, I play the card I took from you! Raigeki!," Rebecca called out happily.

"What's that?," Anzu wondered aloud, but soon got her answer when Dayan's Labyrinth Wall was destroyed.

"Now, I activate another magic card, Ookazi!," Rebecca said as she placed the magic card in the slot, "This card allows me to inflict 800 points damage to your life points!" Dayan watched the display on his duel disk take his life points down to 1500. He had not planned on that magic card. Rebecca laughed, "And now I summon Saggi the Dark Clown in attack mode! He's so cute! Attack Dark Clown!" Dayan once again watched helplessly as his life points were reduced by another 800. He only had 700 life points left, and Rebecca still had 3000.

"Dayan!," Anzu called out, "Please be strong."

"Rebecca, you are a strong duelist," Dayan said, "But this duel will end on my next turn."

"You are out of your mind," Rebecca interjected, "This duel will end before that. It will end when I take down the rest of your life points next turn! "

"I don't think so," Dayan said, "First I will set one monster face-down with another card face-down."

"That's it?," Rebecca laughed, "You have got to be one of the worst duelists I've ever faced! Half the elementary students at regional-finals could put up twice the fight! You are just handing me the game!"

"I don't think so," Dayan said smiling, "Make your move and we will see how this ends."

"Fine," she replied, "I will use my Dark Clown to go on offense. I will attack your defensive monster!"

"I don't think so," Dayan said as he activated his trap on the field, "Magic Cylinder will negate your attack and subtract it from your life points!"

Rebecca watched her duel disk as it counted off 800 life points, "Big deal! This duel is almost over anyway, and you barely have any of your life points left. I will win this next turn."

"There is no next turn, Rebecca," Dayan said as he drew a card.

"What? Are you telling me you are going to defeat me this turn?," she scoffed, "Yeah, I'd like to see that."

"Then I shall grant your wish," he smiled, "First I will flip my defense monster into attack mode. Reveal my Magician of Faith!"

Rebecca burst into laughter, "Magician of Faith?! She only has 500 attack with your field card! This is the most irate duel I have ever been in!"

"Keep on laughing all you want," Dayan said as he reviewed his hand, "While you do that, I will take you down. I now use Magician of Faith's effect to bring back one of my magic cards from the graveyard."

"What?," Rebecca cried, "You can't do that!"

"Oh yes I can," Dayan replied, "You may have used my Raigeki card, but it is still my card. I revive its power from the graveyard and clear your field of monsters!"

"No! You idiot!," Rebecca yelled as her monster was destroyed.

"Not only will I do that, but I will also summon another monster," Dayan said bringing out a monster he had never used before, "I summon my Slate Warrior, but I also equip a magic card to him! I play Malovent Nuzzler! Now my Slate Warrior's attack is 2800!"

Rebecca started to tremble as she viewed the field, "It can't be. . ."

"It is," Dayan called over to her, "It's your end. I use my Slate Warrior to attack your life points directly!"

Rebecca screamed as the monster attacked and brought her life points down to 0. She was on her hands and knees kneeling while shaking. Dayan slowly made his way over to her wondering if she was alright. She shuddered as a loud sob escaped her. He leaned down and helped her up.

"Don't cry," he said with all his gentle natures coming back to him, "You are a fine duelist, and you gave me quite a fight."

"Well," she sniffed and reached in her pocket, "I guess this is yours." She held out her locator card. He took it and smiled. "I wish you the best of luck," she said quietly still shaking from tears, "Though I doubt you will need it with your strategies. I hate losing this card I just won, but you are clearly better than I am."

He kneeled down to her level and wiped a tear from her cheek with his thumb. In many ways, it reminded him of the way he would comfort his sister. All those times when their father would make her practice until she was about pass out from exhaustion, all the times she had to watch while their father beat him while she could do nothing to prevent it, all the times they were put to the test of their strength, he would always be there to wipe away her tears, and shield her heart from hate and fear. Rebecca looked up at him confused before he said, "For every tear, there is a new bond of strength that we gain. Never let that go." Rebecca pondered it for a moment. She did not quite understand, but there was something in his eyes that she had not seen before. What was it? As he smiled at her for a moment reassuringly, she saw. It was wisdom. She nodded silently, and made her way toward the edge of town while he watched her quietly.

"I never knew you were such a good duelist, Dayan," Anzu said as she walked up to him, "Now you have two locator cards!"

Dayan smiled, "Yes. It feels good to duel in the open."

"In the open? What do you mean?," Anzu asked curiously. What was he talking about?

"It's a long story," he said making his way toward the center of Battle City once again.

"Well, we've got plenty of time until you find another duelist," Anzu said, "How about you tell me over a hot coffee?"

Dayan stopped and looked at her curiously for a second, but then responded, "Alright, I could use a break."

The building was old and decrepit. Aida felt she could not trust it, but this was where he led her, so it was the only route to take at the current time. She walked toward the door and turned the handle. Its old works were creaking and gnashing together as she finally freed the door from its frame and walked inside. There was nothing in sight except large stacks of cargo littering the floor in various places. _'Great places for someone to hide,' _she thought as she kept up her guard. Her ears suddenly pricked as she heard something rustling behind her. It shifted from the left side to the right all while remaining safely out of her sight. She turned quickly hoping to discourage the potential attacker. A creak sounded to her right while the rustling continued in front of her. She turned her head toward her right while keeping her body facing the rustling sound. A bang clattered causing her to jump came from behind her, and another creak sounded from her left. She was surrounded, and they were messing with her. _'That bastard!,' _she thought, _'He set me up!'_ She flung out her staff and stood ready for the first attack. She was not going to leave without a fight.

Dayan and Anzu had the coffee shop in sight when they saw two very familiar people standing in the front of it.

"Yugi! Jonouchi! Hey!," Anzu said as she went running up to them, "I finally found you guys!" The two were breaking off from what looked like a handshake. Dayan calmly walked up to see the Pharaoh instead of little Yugi. He let out a quiet gasp as he felt the need to get on his knees to bow to him, but knowing his current situation, it was probably not the best idea.

"Hey, Dayan," Jonouchi greeted him totally different than he had the first day of school, "Comin' to watch me duel?"

Dayan laughed, "I'd love to, but I'm trying to work my way to the finals as well."

"Whaa?!," Jonouchi exclaimed, then realized that Dayan had a duel disk strapped to his arm, "You're in the Battle City tournament?!"

Dayan smiled, "Yeah, I am. I was hoping I would see you two here."

"Well, good luck to you," Yami said smiling honestly.

"Thank you. I wish you the same and more," Dayan said quietly. On the inside he was bursting with pride that the Pharaoh gave him such good tidings. He knew the Pharaoh would not remember who he was, but just knowing that someone of that caliber, of that intelligence, was giving him his good will was enough to make him happy for the rest of his life.

"I don't know about you two, but I'm ready for some duelin'!," Jonouchi exclaimed turning toward the crowd, "Let's get this goin' folks! I'll catch you guys later!" With that he went running off through the crowd.

"He's right," Dayan said looking down at his duel disk, "I should be dueling and making my way to the finals."

"You can't have a break?," Anzu asked discouraged. _'I want him to stay with me and have a talk.'_ She stopped suddenly wondering what the heck she was thinking. It's not like she liked him in that way or anything.

Dayan saw her hurt expression and gave in, "I guess a short break couldn't hurt."

"I guess I will see you two later then," Yami said as he started in the opposite direction, "Oh, and Anzu, if you see Aida, tell her I'm looking for her."

"All right," Anzu said remembering about Aida. In the time she had been with Dayan, she had forgotten about her missing friend. She mentally shrugged it off thinking that wherever she was, she was probably doing fine. Aida was definitely strong enough to take care of herself.

_'Aida,' _Dayan thought about the name, _'It seems so strange to hear the Pharaoh speak another woman's name, yet he means the same person he loved so long ago. I wonder how Ateyda feels. He doesn't remember the past. That can't be easy on her.'_ He sat down at a table with Anzu while their orders were taken and looked out the window, _'Be strong, sister. This will be the hardest life of all for both of us.'_

"So Dayan," Anzu said striking up a conversation, "What was it that you were saying about dueling earlier?"

"Hmm?," he asked getting thrown back into reality from his thoughts, "Oh. Yeah. Well, I've never dueled in a reputable tournament before."

"Really?," she asked shocked, "You are definitely good enough."

He smiled softly, "Thank you. I guess it is just strange for me. It is weird to be out in the daytime dueling without reprimand."

Anzu studied him, "Reprimand?"

"Yeah," he replied, "You see, back in London, I was part of the underground. I learned to duel there. I was the top contender for quite a few years before I came here."

"The London underground?," she asked curiously, "What's that?"

He stopped for a moment with a very serious look on his face, "It's nothing really."

"Oh, but you were the top duelist there, you said. What is it like?"

He looked at her very serious once again which scared her, but he soon replied, "Being on an underground isn't the safest or best path to take, but those were my first stomping grounds. A lot of gangs would hang out there to duel and win cards for their lords, but I was an independent duelist. I didn't duel under anyone's colors. Usually it would get really late at night, and that was when we all came out."

Anzu sat enraptured by every word that came from his lips. She had never heard anything like this before.

"We would duel all through the night," he continued, "It was basically a large mass of people hanging out like gangs of duelists. I would go out about midnight, and would battle until dawn. It was fun for a long time, but eventually it made me start to skip classes and miss out on a lot of other things. It was an unhealthy obsession, and it got to me. That is why I came out here. I needed to get away from the fast night life, and come out to a place where I could get my life back on track. Ryou had been telling me about Domino, so I packed up and here I am." She merely gaped at him with all this new information he had just said. He chuckled a bit and said, "Well, now that I have told you my life story. . ."

"Yes, and I've heard about enough," a voice behind him said. A man sitting in the booth behind Dayan stood up walked over to their table. He had greasy, blonde hair that fell around his head like a chili-bowl haircut while his dull, hazel eyes glared at Dayan, "Funny, you basically explained about your whole life on the underground, but my name was not mentioned."

Anzu looked over at Dayan wondering if he knew this strange guy that had butted his way into their conversation when she saw his jaw was clenched and there were flames kindling in his eyes.

"What the hell are you doing here, Liam?," Dayan barely whispered through clenched teeth.

"Following you of course," he responded then held up his own duel disk, "I knew you'd be here. You are so predictable."

Dayan growled, "Outside. Now."

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Read and Review Please! More Battle City is on its way!


	25. Chapter 25 Duel 2: Road to Revenge

Here is the second duel in Battle city! A lot of drama is coming up, so enjoy!

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Anzu had no idea what was going on. All she knew was that one minute they had been sitting in the coffee house sipping some cappuccinos, and the next he was dueling some stranger who showed up out of no where.

"I guess we will start where we left off," Liam smiled.

"Things will never be the way they used to," Dayan said shortly, "But I know this is what you want, and I will grant your wish. Only after this is done, I will have your locator card."

Liam shook his head, "I've been waiting for this for too long. This is my battle."

Dayan shoved his deck into the slot, and powered up the duel disk. Liam was going to be sorry that he came back to challenge Dayan. He beat him before and he would beat him again. Liam was not the strongest duelist in the world. Neither did he have the best cards, but he was pretty good at strategy. Dayan knew Liam would play his cards to their full ability.

"Ok, you start," Liam said after drawing his first five cards, "Let's see if you still have your old touch."

Dayan merely nodded and drew a card. He set one monster in defense, and awaited Liam to make his move.

"Giving me the silent treatment, Dayan?," he asked nastily, "I'm not too worried. I'll have you whimpering about your defeat in no time."

"You have never been a strong duelist, Liam," Dayan said with no trace of a smile on his face, "What makes you think you can beat me?"

"It is true that when you and I dueled on the underground, I never held acclaim, but there is much more at stake here. I always play better when things are on the line. Didn't you ever wonder how I even survived on my own?"

Anzu gasped, _'Did he say on the underground?'_

"I didn't know, and I didn't care," Dayan replied, "You are nothing but a grain of dirt beneath me."

Liam smiled, "Still hostile, are we?"

"It doesn't matter how long it has been since we last saw each other. I will never forget your treachery."

"You're still upset about that? I would have thought you could move on, but geez. . ."

Dayan's face darkened, "Because of you and your cowardice and greed a little girl lost her life! You wanted me dead, and look what came of it!"

"I was not the one who did the deed. I just passed on information. I am no more guilty than you are."

"Bullshit! You knew what kind of man you were dealing with! You knew exactly how he worked, but I know why you did it. I know he threatened you, and you caved. You valued your own life over mine and everyone else around me when I would have given mine to save you!," Dayan was now seething with anger.

_'What are they talking about?,' _Anzu wondered confused. She would have to ask Dayan to explain every thing after the duel, because she was completely lost.

"That is your fault you didn't just let Akurei deal with you, not mine. You could have let him take you and no one else would have been hurt."

"You know very well had I stayed there and given up, everyone in that house would have died. He only stopped when I wasn't there because he wanted to draw me out, but I've had enough of this conversation! Are you going to move or what?!"

"Fine," Liam said as he drew a card, "Your defense won't last long, because I summon Masaki the Legendary Swordsman in attack mode. Now my swordsman, attack his face down monster!"

Dayan's face down card flipped up to reveal the Aqua Madoor.

"Too bad, Liam," Dayan taunted, "But then again I guess only a real duelist would know not to start with a monster that weak."

"Shut up!," Liam snapped as his attack was blocked and he lost 900 life points, "You got lucky, but now I place one card face down and end my turn."

Dayan smiled, "That's it? This duel won't go far with soft playing like that." He drew a card. "I set one card face down, then I summon my Opticlops!" Opticlops appeared on the field, "Attack his Masaki the Legendary Swordsman!"

"I activate my Enchanted Javelin!," Liam called out as his face down card flipped up, "Now your attack is weakened to 0!"

"I don't think so," Dayan laughed back, "Weren't expecting this, were you? I activate my Seven Tools of the Bandit! With this trap card, I pay 1000 of my life points to negate and destroy one of my opponent's traps."

"Damn you!," Liam yelled as the attack continued and destroyed his swordsman. He watched as his life points dropped to 2400.

"You aren't doing very well. Maybe you should throw in the towel."

"I won't quit that easy!," Liam yelled as he drew a card, "I set a monster face down in defense, and another card face down. Then I play a card that will destroy your defense!"

"My Aqua Madoor?," Dayan asked, "What card are you talking about?"

"This one!," he shouted back as he played a magic card, "This is my Fissure card! It destroys the monster with the weakest attack on your side of the field! That means your strong defense will be destroyed because of its weak attack! Goodbye, Aqua Madoor!"

Dayan's monster was engulfed by a giant hand and pulled into the ground.

"You will pay for that one," Dayan grumbled as he drew a card, "I summon Gemini Elf!"

"Ha! You activated my face down trap!," Liam said as his trap card activated, "Watch as your elves fall to their death in my Trap Hole!" Dayan watched helplessly as his monsters fell into the hole and were destroyed.

"Fine, then! I attack with Opticlops!"

"You've attacked my Man-Eater Bug!," Liam was laughing hysterically now, "Your stupidity has sacrificed both of your monsters!" Liam's Man-Eater latched itself to Dayan's fiend and destroyed them both.

"Then I end my turn by setting one card face down," Dayan said quietly with fire burning in his eyes.

Liam drew a card, "Soon, you will be defeated. Your two locator cards will be mine, and I won't forget about your rarest card, but how about we raise the stakes?"

"What are you wanting?," Dayan asked him cautiously.

"If I win, not only will I get your locator cards and rarest card, but I also want your life," he replied laughing maniacally.

"What?," Anzu exclaimed, "That's insane! What a sick freak!"

"Now what would make me do something stupid like that?," Dayan asked.

"You didn't let me finish," Liam interjected, "If you win, then I'll tell you some information you're just dying to know."

"And what would that be?"

Liam smiled nastily, "I can tell you where Akurei is."

His eyes widened, "You know where he is?"

"I've always known. Akurei has always tried to keep in contact with me. I am his eyes in the underground, and I can tell him anything he needs to know about everyone in its wake. People like you and Ryou. He's very interested in you two."

Dayan laughed, "I knew you were grimy street trash, but I still underestimated you. I can't believe you are still helping that filth, but have it your way, Liam. I agree to your terms."

"Wonderful, then let's get this duel going again with my move," he said as he drew a card. A large smile spread across his face, "I have drawn a card that will take you down. You are no match for its special ability, and with no monsters on your side of the field, you are easy prey. Now come forth my Gray Wing!"

"What's that?!," Dayan asked as he watched a large dragon appear on the field.

"This almighty dragon has an attack of 1300, but it might as well be 2600. Gray Wing's special ability is that if I discard one card from my hand, then I can attack twice taking out 2600 of your life points!"

"No!," Anzu called out, "That will take Dayan's life points down to 400! He'll never win with that!"

"Attack his life points directly _twice_, Gray Wing!," Liam shouted as he discarded one card into the graveyard. Gray Wing attacked. The entire area was engulfed in dust. When it slowly cleared away, Dayan stood with a smile on his face.

"Why aren't your life points dropping?," Liam yelled.

"Open your eyes!," Dayan shouted back, "I activated my face-down card. My all-powerful Nutrient Z!"

"What? You actually prevented the damage to your life points? Damn you!"

"Not only that, but Nutrient Z allows me to add 4000 to my total life points if my opponent causes 2000 points or more damage to them." Dayan life point's rose from 3000 to 7000, then dropped from Liam's attack to 4400, "That gives me 1400 more life points than before. Did you really think I would leave myself open like that?"

"Alright, Dayan!," Anzu cheered, "Show this guy what you're made of!"

"Fine, I end my turn by setting this card face-down," Liam sneered.

Dayan drew, "I summon another Opticlops! My Opticlops has 500 more attack points than your Gray Wing, so now I attack!"

"Not so fast," Liam yelled as he activated his face-down card, "You triggered my Waboku trap! This card makes an attack of one of your monsters 0 during the turn this card is activated, and since that is the only monster you have on the field, my life points are completely safe along with my Gray Wing."

"They won't be for long," Dayan taunted.

"Enough of your mouth," Liam drew a card and smiled, "I play Card of Sanctity! This card lets us both draw until we have six cards in our hands." They both drew and refreshed their hands. Liam stared at his cards for a moment pondering the best way to take Dayan down.

"Make your move already," Dayan said beginning to get impatient. He needed to know where Akurei was, and he did not want to waste anymore time with this upstart.

"Alright, I play soul exchange! I sacrifice my Gray Wing and your Opticlops to bring forth this ultimate warrior! Behold my Sword Hunter!" Liam's Sword Hunter jumped onto the field with various arrays of weapons and armor adorning him.

"You used that soul exchange card, so you have to skip your battle phase," Dayan said, "So my life points are safe for now."

"But not for long," Liam interjected, "You had better be getting your affairs in order, because I'm going to enjoy killing you very slowly. Maybe I'll enlist you as my slave for a few years, what do you think, huh?"

"I don't have to worry about it, because I will not let filthy bastard like you defeat me," Dayan replied as he drew a card. He viewed his Witch of the Black Forest for a moment, and then placed it face down on the field in defense mode. That would have to do for now.

"Is that it? A defensive monster is all you can muster? I thought I would never see the day that the great mystery duelist Dayan would play such a sappy move!," Liam jeered at him, "Now let's take you down, shall we? I'm loving every minute of this. Now, Sword Hunter, attack his face-down monster!"

Dayan's witch was instantly destroyed, and he selected a card from his deck with a smile on his face. Liam had allowed him to draw his favorite monster. He had experienced it before, but now Dayan was going to make sure he had a good taste of its wrath.

"I don't care what card you just took from your deck," Liam said as he set a card face down, "The attack on your witch increased Sword Hunter's attack to 2650, and this face-down card will make sure you can't defeat me."

Dayan ignored him and drew a card, "I play Change of Heart! I will take over your Sword Hunter!"

"You plan to use my own monster against me?," Liam said unenthused, "I wouldn't let that happen."

"I don't want to use your pathetic monster, but it will make a nice sacrifice," Dayan laughed.

"What?!," Liam exclaimed realizing what Dayan was doing.

"I sacrifice your Sword Hunter to bring forth my Summoned Skull!," Dayan cried as the Summoned Skull loomed over the field.

"I _hate_ that card," Liam barely whispered to himself. He remembered all the times that Dayan would steal away the glory of the fight by bringing out that card. It was Dayan's favorite and he always used it to its full advantage.

"I see you remember my old friend here," Dayan laughed.

"I remember him all too well, and his power, but I'm about to defeat it with this!," Liam said activating his trap card, "I activate Gravity Bind!"

"Dammit," Dayan cursed watching as his Summoned Skull was subdued.

"My turn," Liam drew a card, "I play Queen's Double! This card let's me attack your life points directly, and since it is a one star monster, my Gravity Bind doesn't effect it at all! Now attack his life points!" A red-haired warrior approached Dayan and stabbed him with her razor like weapons in her hands. His life points dropped 350 points.

Dayan laughed, "I still have 4050 life points. It will take a lot more than that to take me down." He drew a card. His hand was not looking well. He placed one card face-down and ended his turn.

"Once again I'm amazed at how your skills have diminished since you left the underground," Liam laughed, "I attack you again with my Queen's Double." Dayan's life points dropped another 350. Dayan could have countered it, but he wanted to wait until the opportune moment to use his cards, until then his life points would have to be sacrificed.

He drew. "I set another card face-down, and I end my turn."

Liam smiled, "How sad. The defeat of the weak is always touching. I attack you once again! Are you just going to sit there and let me swat at you all day until you finally die?" Dayan's life points dropped again.

"I play Swords of Revealing Light!," Dayan played his magic card and ended his turn. There was not much he could do at the moment, but he did have a plan if all went exactly right.

"I see, another desperate move by a weak duelist. I have no objections, however. This card shall do nicely. I play fissure and destroy the only monster you have on the field to protect you. So long, Summoned Skull!" Summoned Skull was subdued just like his Aqua Madoor had been earlier in the game. Liam would pay for that.

"I activate one of my face-down trap cards!," Dayan hit the button on his duel disk with satisfaction, "My Michizure card lets me destroy one monster on the field when one of mine is sent to the graveyard. Say goodbye to your Queen's Double!"

"Fine, make your move so I can end this faster. I have some tasks lined up for you already when you are officially enlisted as my slave," Liam taunted.

Dayan drew a card, "I choose to end my turn without playing a card."

"Ha! Well, if you can't think of a move, then I can," Liam drew, "Even though I can't attack, I play Karate Man in attack mode to shield me. Now move."

"Fine, I lay one card face-down again and end my turn."

Liam yawned, "This is getting really boring, but if you are going to play it easy, then so will I. I pass my turn as well. This is the last one that the swords will be caging me." The Swords of Revealing Light vanished from the field as he ended his turn.

Dayan laid his fingertips on his deck. He prayed to the gods to give him the right card. There was a single card in his deck at this moment that could change everything. At the moment he had no monsters on the field, and Liam knew that Dayan did not keep many cards in his deck below 4 stars that were worth any attack power, but there was one card Liam did not know about, and if he drew it, he would win. He flung the card out from his deck and looked up.

"I have drawn," Dayan said simply.

"Oh, wow, really," Liam mocked.

"I got the one card in my whole deck that I needed. Now prepare yourself, Liam. I am about to defeat you. I play my Muka Muka!" A strange creature appeared on the field. It resembled a scorpion, but had bursts of smoke and ash that issued from its head, and gleaming red eyes that flashed in the sun.

"That?," Liam laughed, "It only has 600 attack! How the hell do you think you could win with that?!"

"You must not know about Muka Muka's special ability," Dayan laughed back, "For every card in my hand, my monster gets and additional 300 attack and defense points, and when I activate my face-down magic card," Pot of Greed flipped from its closed position on the field, "I count eight cards in my hand. That makes my Muka Muka's attack 3000, and yet there is that annoying monster on your side of the field protecting your part of your life points. That is why I activate my other face-down card. Feel that wrath of Ring of Destruction!"

"What?!," Liam cried.

"Yes. Ring of Destruction destroys any monster on the field I choose. Then that monster's attack gets subtracted from both players life points. It's a small sacrifice for me to completely wipe you out!," Liam's monster was destroyed as the ring caught it around the neck and exploded. 1000 life points were deducted from both players, "And now, Liam, I am going to show you exactly why I am the superior duelist, and why you are a parasite of the earth. Muka Muka, attack his life points directly and destroy him!" Muka Muka carried out it's assault on Liam's life points taking them down to 0. Liam was lifted off his feet from the power of the attack and sent crashing into a bench five feet behind him. Dayan ran over to him and grabbed him by the collar of his shirt.

"Tell me now! I have had enough of your games! Where is Akurei?!," he screamed.

Liam just laughed, "Did you really think I would keep my word?"

Dayan started trembling with rage, "Tell me now! If you do not tell me, I will beat you within an inch of your life!"

"You don't have the guts to do it, Dayan. I know you. You wouldn't hurt anyone unless you were defending someone else."

"Then how would you like to see Akurei come after you for letting me defeat you? You know if I go to him, even if he kills me, he got what he wanted and will leave you be. Now come on, Liam, save your own skin again and tell me where he is."

Liam thought for a moment as he looked at the fire burning in Dayan's eyes. He was right. Akurei would kill him if Dayan got away, and yet he knew Dayan would find some non-physical way to destroy him if he did not tell. If he let the two of them collide, maybe they would kill each other and it would rid him of both of them.

"Alright," Liam said shoving Dayan off of him, "I'll tell you."

Jonouchi was walking away from his duel with Espa Roba. He now had another locator card and a Jinzo card. He could not believe he had banked so well off of that duel. If only Yugi could have seen that duel. He laughed smugly as he thought that would give him a chance to retell the whole duel move for move. He began to think about all the ways he could dramatize the really intense parts of the duel when someone called out to him.

"Hey! Jonouchi! There you are!," Honda called out through the crowds as he jogged over to him.

"Honda!," Jonouchi exclaimed glad to see a familiar face.

"I'm glad I found someone," he said, "Where are the others?"

"Aren't you gonna ask how I've been doin'?!," Jonouchi exclaimed.

"I already know. Serenity and I were watching the duel online at the hospital," he replied smirking.

"Oh, I see," Jonouchi said looking down kind of put off that he could start telling the whole duel over again, "I'm glad Serenity saw me fight."

"She had more faith in you than I did," Honda prodded.

"Whaa?," Jonouchi said a few moments later, "You jerk!" It was not even moments later that the two of them could be seen wrestling each other looking like they were trying to pull each other's ears off. They did not even notice Seto Kaiba walk by rolling his eyes at their childish behavior.

Mokuba quickly followed after his brother, "I just hope they don't hurt each other."

Kaiba scoffed, "That's my dying wish." He had more important things to think about now, however. It was time for him to participate in his tournament. He had already tested out his Egyptian God Card on an unsuspecting fool, but now it was time to find his real rival. Where _was_ Yugi?

As he walked along the sidewalks of Domino's city park, Yami thought about Jonouchi. He had won back his Red Eyes Black Dragon card for him, but Jonouchi had insisted that he keep it until he was a True Duelist. Then he would win it back. That was one duel he awaited with anticipation. Jonouchi was the most fun person to duel. He got the most out of the game, and loved every minute of the fight. Granted that Seto Kaiba was his ultimate rival, Jonouchi still could make the game a lot more fun. But before he could think on it anymore, a harlequin jumped from a bush and landed in front of him.

"What the hell?," he said looking at the multi-colored freak in front of him. The harlequin responded by directing him toward a tent just a few yards away. The harlequin skipped to the entrance of the tent and motioned him to enter before disappearing inside.

"Hmm. An invitation into an undoubted trap inside a circus tent," Yami said but then smirked, "Interesting."

The sound of Dayan's boots pounding up the pavement echoed off of the buildings and alleyways as he ran at full speed up the street. Anzu was following him close behind. He had at first refused her accompaniment worrying for her safety, but she had insisted on coming. He finally agreed seeing as how she was not going to be convinced otherwise. With Anzu there or not, Akurei was going to pay. Dayan would make sure of that. He should have finished it the day Akurei had attacked him, but then it was when he saw what Akurei had done. . . That did not matter now. He had to get to Akurei and finish him off once and for all.

"Dayan!," he heard a voice call out to him. Reluctantly, he stopped and turned. Ryou was jogging up to him. Dayan's heart sank. This was the last person he wanted to see at the moment.

"Ryou!," Anzu greeted cheerfully not understanding the seriousness of Dayan's mission.

"Ryou, what are you doing here?," Dayan asked as Ryou came to a stop in front of him.

"I was walking home when I saw you," he replied, "Where are you going in such a hurry?"

Dayan's stomach flipped making him feel sick. Ryou had the right to know. Dayan had kept it from him for too long. He was so afraid of hurting Ryou that he kept it to himself vowing that he would tell him later, and then the years slowly passed and Dayan still kept his mouth shut. If he were ever to tell him, today would be it.

"Ryou, there is something I've been meaning to tell you for years," Dayan started feeling like his heart was being wrenched from his chest, "Maybe you should sit down."

Ryou looked at him curiously, "Sit down? Dayan, what's wrong?"

Dayan took a deep breath, "You know, Ryou, I'm not a good person. I never have been. I've never ran with the right crowd. There is just something in me that prevents me from making the right decisions."

Ryou stared at him with confusion, "Dayan, what are you talking about? What's gotten into you?"

Dayan looked at him with wet eyes, "Ryou, do you remember that night your parents tried to convince me to stay home at night? They said that it would help me better myself. Do you remember that?"

Ryou nodded slowly, "Yes. You promised them that you would stop hanging out with the rough crowd at night. I remember mom felt it was her responsibility to watch out for you."

Dayan looked at the ground in shame, "Then you'll also remember that I broke that promise. I still kept up my nightly runs, but I never let them know. I hid it, and they trusted me. Someone as low and cowardly as me they trusted. I broke that trust and betrayed them. Like I told you before, Ryou, I'm a horrible person, and for my punishment for breaking my word everyone in that house suffered."

Ryou still could not figure out what he was getting at, "Dayan, I don't know what has gotten into you, but if you need to tell me something, just say it."

Dayan hung his head lower in shame, "I'm responsible for Amane's death. I'm the reason your sister died."

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Ooo. . . Yeah I know his sister died in a car accident, but his is more amusing, is it not? Read and Review Please!


	26. Chapter 26 Duel 3: Killing the Skeletons

Duel Three! More drama! Enjoy!

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Anzu gasped, but remained silent.

Ryou looked at him in shock, "What? What are you talking about?"

Dayan's eyes fell to the ground, "The man that killed her was after me. I fled from the house to try and lead him away, but I wasn't thinking straight. I should have known what he would have done. When I came back, I saw he had killed. . . When I saw the look on your face, and when I saw what they had done to you, I just couldn't bring myself to tell you. I'm sorry Ryou. I'm sorry to have brought that on you. Your family was nice enough to bring me into their home, and my lifestyle and the people I chose to be around caused all of it. I'm so sorry, Ryou. You're my best friend, and I never wanted anything like this to happen. I didn't mean for any of it to happen."

Ryou just stared at him in shock. What was he supposed to say to something like that? He could not get over what he had just heard. He had merely saw Dayan running down the street and stopped him, then all of a sudden he was bombarded by Dayan's confession. All these years he had thought it was all just a case of breaking and entering gone wrong, but all this time. . . He needed time to think it over. "Why are you telling me this all of a sudden? Why now?"

"I'm going after him; the man who attacked the house that night. I'm going after him, and I'm going. . . I'm going to kill him," Dayan stammered. He had never said anything like that in his life.

"What? You can't just go do that!," Ryou said. Anzu nodded quickly in agreement.

"I have to make sure he doesn't do this to anyone else! He has to pay for what he did, Ryou!," Dayan pleaded, and then turned away from Ryou, "Go home, Ryou. This is my battle."

"No," Ryou said rather firmly, "If you insist on going, then I'm going with you. I want to see the man who killed Amane."

Ryou. . ," Dayan tried to say.

"No, Dayan. You will not deter me," he said sternly. Dayan could tell Ryou was very upset. Whether it was what he had finally confessed to Ryou, or it was just everything together, he was angry.

"Alright, Ryou," Dayan said, "But you'll have to keep up." He continued to run down the street with Ryou and Anzu right behind him. He had finally told his best friend his greatest secret, but whether that changed the best friend part or not, he would have to find out about later.

The building loomed ahead of them as they ran through the industrial district. It was an old warehouse that was used for the sea ports nearby. _'Of course,'_ Dayan thought, _'It's always a warehouse, isn't it?'_ They slowed to a stop as they got to a door. He hesitated for a moment not knowing what he would walk in on, but then threw the door open not caring. He ran in and looked around for any sign of Akurei. It was relatively dark and he could not see very much, but he heard laughter coming from the left of him. The doors shut suddenly as they were caged inside.

"Hey! Let go of me!," he heard Anzu shriek. Then he heard Ryou's struggles.

"AKUREI!," Dayan yelled out, "Come out, and let them go! Your fight is with me!"

"Yes, but if I take them, then you will do exactly as I want. I did so hope you would bring someone with you," a raspy voice came from directly in front of him. Then he stepped out. A man Dayan had not seen in years. Akurei loomed before him. He stood at 6 feet with dyed white hair tipped in blood red sticking out on end. He had an over large nose and a thin, menacing mouth which was now turned up in a crooked smile. His sickening voice scratched as he spoke, and it added to his fierce appearance.

"What is it that you want, Akruei?," Dayan asked with a hint of warning in his voice.

"I want a rematch," he smiled and walked very close to Dayan, "I lost track of you after our attack on your house, but then I heard about this Battle City tournament going on. I knew you would be in it; the kingpin of the London underground. I knew you would not be able to resist."

"I told you before I was not and never will be the leader of the underground," Dayan said raising his voice.

"You really think I would believe that? When I first arrived there, everyone I talked to told me the main guy, the leading man, the kingpin was you. When you beat me in our first duel, I couldn't believe it, but now I've come to challenge you again, and taking you down in the Battle City tournament is just the way to do it."

"You planned this all along, didn't you? Liam was just a pawn in your game."

"Liam?," Akurei laughed, "That weak punk? He's just lucky I haven't killed him yet. He's a traitorous, lying little bastard that I never have my back to, but back to the task at hand. Get your duel disk ready. I'm going to take you down. Winner take all."

"Fine," Dayan said looking back at Ryou and Anzu making sure they were ok, "Let's get this over and done with."

"Why don't you go first?," Akurei taunted, "I'll give you the first move, because I'll be making the last."

Dayan growled, "Justice is on my side. I'll send you to hell."

Ryou gasped at Dayan's words. Was that really him? He had never heard Dayan say anything that harsh or threatening. What had gotten into him?

Akurei took the duel disk that was handed out to him by one of this cronies blocking their escape and guarding Akurei's territory. He slid it onto his arm while smiling nastily at Dayan the entire time. The only thing that kept repeating in his mind was the image of defeating the leader of London's minions. He savored the idea of watching Dayan writhe on the ground with blood spurting from his wounds while Akurei slowly suffocated him feeling his life slip away beneath his finger tips. Yes, his blood would taste exceptionally well with the plastic smell of his locator cards.

Dayan activated his duel disk. The hair on his neck stood on end as he felt the tense air surrounding them. He wished that Ryou and Anzu had not insisted on going. If he knew Akurei enough, even if he defeated him, escaping him would be an entirely different situation. He would have to deal out his most threatening charisma possible. He started to lose confidence in his own strength, but as he gazed upon his deck he realized that it was not only his own strength he was fighting with. He was fighting with the power of his faith in his cards, Ryou, Anzu, and everyone else who had ever rooted for him. It was fight or die, and he was not yet finished with that life.

"I draw," Dayan said as he took a card from the top of his deck, "I set one card face-down in defense mode. Make your move."

Akurei laughed, "It's my move, and it is the beginning of your death. I'm going to savor every moment of your defeat. After I kill you, I'll turn my attention on your two friends there, and don't think I don't recognize him. That's Ryou Bakura, isn't it? Well, I'll make sure to finish him off like I should have all those years ago."

"Shut up, and make a move!," Dayan yelled out getting extremely angry.

Akurei drew a card, "Get ready, boys. As soon as he's dead, the girl is yours." Akurei laughed as he pushed Dayan's patience. All the men around them started to laugh and jeer. Ryou was scared out of his mind, but he had faith in Dayan, and by the determined look in Anzu's eyes, she too was not going to lose faith in him.

"Come on, Dayan," Anzu shouted, "Don't listen to this creep. You can win!"

"I'd watch that mouth, princess," Akurei sneered, "Won't be long before it will get you in trouble. Now, let's continue this duel. I summon Blackland Fire Dragon in attack mode! Seem a little different to you, Dayan?"

"A dragon?," Dayan asked, "It seems you've changed the structure of your deck. That won't save you, Akurei. The only thing it gives you is my surprise that you were smart enough to give up on your old, pathetic deck."

"You still have that tongue, Dayan," Akurei hissed, "I'll rip it from your mouth and spit on it. Attack his face-down monster, my dragon!"

The Blackland Fire Dragon aimed its firey attack toward Dayan's face-down card. It flipped over and Wall of Illusion revealed itself.

"Damn you!," Akurei cursed as the had to take his dragon back to his hand. His life points dropped by 50 points as he ended his turn.

"I will not let you win," Dayan said drawing, "You will never get the better of me. I lay one card face-down, then I put this monster in face-down defensive mode."

"That was a weak move," Akurei said beginning his turn, "Now I summon the Crawling Dragon in attack mode, and then I attack your defense!"

"Oh, really?," Dayan said as he activated a trap card, "Well, my Sakuretsu Armor card will take care of that."

Akurei's Crawling Dragon was instantly destroyed, "You are really becoming annoying. I set one card face-down. Get on with it then."

"If you wish," Dayan smiled, "I flip my defensive monster," Dayan's monster came forth in attack mode, "Behold my Slate Warrior! This monster's effect allows it to gain an extra 500 attack points! That brings it to 2400! So I attack your life points directly!"

"You only wish," Akurei laughed as he activated a trap, "Did you really think I was that stupid? My Shadow Spell trap card will activate and bind your monster. Not only that, but it will bring your monster's attack down by 700!"

"Fine. I end my turn by setting one card face-down."

"Well, it seems the tables have turned," Akurei hissed as he viewed his newly drawn card, "This move will take you down a peg or two. I play Change of Heart and use it to take control of your Wall of Illusion, but instead of using it, I'm going to sacrifice it to bring forth my Kaiser Glider!" Wall of Illusion was engulfed in a shroud of light. Then a giant, menacing dragon soon replaced it, "I use this ultimate dragon to attack your Slate Warrior!" The power from the attack caused Dayan to shield himself as his monster was blown to bits and taking 700 life points with it.

"I'm still standing," Dayan said drawing, "I set one card face-down, and another monster face-down. Make your move."

"Is that what you are going to do the whole game?," he snapped, "Well, then you will lose sooner than I thought. I set one card face-down as well, but now I use my Kaiser Glider to attack your defensive monster!" Sangan was revealed and destroyed. Dayan chose a monster from his deck and waited for Akurei to finish. He merely laughed at Dayan's silent natures. On the inside he knew he was furious, but Akurei could not blame him. People do tend to get mad when you try to kill them.

"I'll make my move then," Dayan said getting a nod from his opponent, "I set one card face-down, and that will do it for me."

Akurei sighed, "These tactics are so boring, Dayan. I figured dueling you would be even more challenging than last time, but this is a joke!"

"Shut up and duel."

His eyes flashed, "You're lucky we're still dueling while making remarks like that. I activate my trap, Magic Thorn. This will come in handy later. Then I attack your face-down monster with Kaiser Glider!"

Dayan laughed, "You idiot! You've attacked my Cyber Jar! This card's first effect destroys every monster on the field!" The monster sucked every monster on the field into it's cavernous depths, then it disappeared.

"Damn you!," Akurei yelled.

"Now for its second effect we both pick up five cards from our deck and automatically special summon any monsters from those cards that are four stars or less."

Dayan summoned Aqua Madoor in defense mode while he summoned Gemini Elf and Opticlops in attack mode. Akurei summoned both a Winged Dragon, Guardian of the Fortress and a Tyhone #2 in defense mode. He then ended his turn by setting one card face-down and sneered over at Dayan to make his move.

Dayan merely grinned with joy at making Akruei so mad, "I will now bring forth my favorite monster. I'm sure you will remember him. He was the monster who beat you last time. I sacrifice my Aqua Madoor to bring forth my Summoned Skull!"

"Do you think I'm going to let you use that again?!," Akurei cried, "I activate my face-down trap card, Torrential Tribune! This card destroys ever monster card on the field when a monster is summoned!" Dayan watched helplessly as his Skull, Gemini Elf, and Opticlops were swept from the field. Akurei would pay for that one. Those were some of his favorite monsters. He would not get away with it.

"Fine, I have to end my turn," Dayan said reluctantly.

"Good, for now it's my chance to show you how my new deck functions. I worked on it for quite a while making sure that it was precisely what I needed to take you down. I know your deck is built for high power, so I knew I had to make one to counter that. Now I am going to summon the most powerful monster in my deck."

"What?!," Dayan exclaimed. Not only did that trap card destroy all of Dayan's monsters, but it destroyed his opponent's as well. How was he to summon his best monster with nothing to sacrifice?

"That's right. I remove my Kaiser Glider and my Blackland Fire Dragon from my graveyard to summon the all-powerful Chaos Emperor Dragon!"

"Dear Ra," Dayan said as he watched the gigantic dragon come onto the field. Darkness and evil powers encased it while it reared its head and let out a roar that seemed to shake Dayan from the inside out. It was an awesome monster, and he knew there had to be special effects to it. He just wished he knew what those were.

"I will take out 3000 of your life points with this monster's powerful attack! Now my dragon, attack his life points directly, and bring me closer to his death!" The dragon shot an ungodly blast on Dayan, but after the dust and smoke had cleared, Dayan was still standing, but had a smile on his face.

"I've activated my trap card, Nutrient Z!," Dayan laughed, "My life points increase by 4000, then decrease by 3000 from your attack, but I gain an extra 1000 life points in the process. I wouldn't leave myself that open, Akurei. You should know better."

"It doesn't matter," he replied, "After you see all of my dragon's effects you won't be so confident. I set two cards face-down and end my turn."

Dayan started to get a little nervous. He knew that dragon was extremely powerful, but he had no idea what it was capable of. He would just have to deal out his toughest moves and hope for the best. He drew his card, "I'm also going to bring forth a powerful monster much like you. I remove my Slate Warrior, Opticlops, and Wall of Illusion from my graveyard to bring forth my Dark Necrofear in defensive mode!" Dark Necrofear appeared in its shell of dark magic staring keenly over at Akurei. Dayan continued, "I then play this magic card. Change of Heart!"

"Not so fast, Dayan!," Akurei yelled, "I'm not going to let you win that easily. I activate Magic Jammer! This will negate your Change of Heart when I discard one of my hand cards to the graveyard. Sorry, but that won't work."

"That's fine. I just needed to make sure what that card was, and now you've proven it. I set one card face-down and end my turn."

Akurei started laughing hysterically, "This is it! This is the move where I show off my deck's true power! This is a moment I've been waiting for. I use my dragon's special ability and 1000 of my life points to destroy every card on the field and in our hands!"

"What?! It can't be!," Dayan said shocked. He had never heard of anything like that before, but he watched helplessly as his Dark Necrofear and the Mirror Force Trap card he had laid down were both destroyed. Akurei's dragon was destroyed as he discarded his entire hand to the graveyard. Dayan very reluctantly did the same. He had nothing to protect him now.

Akurei continued to laugh, "Did you think that was all? Not only do you lose all your monsters and your cards, but you also lose 300 life points for every card that was destroyed or discarded, and I believe I count five!"

"I still have more life points than you, Akurei, and your field is just as empty as mine!," Dayan sneered.

"Oh, but did you forget something?," Akurei cackled, "I activated a quick-play magic card too. Even though my dragon was destroyed from it's effect, my Ring of Defense card will shield a trap card I played earlier, and you should know the effects of it."

Dayan looked over to see Magic Thorn still on the field. His heart sank and he gasped. It could not be possible.

"Yes, Dayan," Akurei laughed, "Magic Thorn's effect will now crush you. It will take away 500 life points for every card you just discarded! That means you instantly lose 2500 life points!" He continued to laugh as Dayan watched 2500 life points drain away. He could not believe it. In one turn he had lost 4000 life points.

He had no choice, but to be prepared to be beaten as he drew what he though might be his final card, "I set one card –face-down. Make your move."

"Good. This is the turn I shall defeat you. I play the only card in my hand. Well, the only one for now, because I play Card of Sanctity! This card let's us both refresh our hands. Now we both have six cards. It doesn't matter what you drew, because I'll kill you in this turn. I summon my Gray Wing. The special thing about this monster is that if that trap card negates the first attack, it has a second attack that I can use to wipe you out. I can't lose! Dragon, attack his life points directly!"

"Wrong! I activate Spellbinding Circle. Whether that monster has two attacks or not, it doesn't matter! This card prevents him from attacking at any point!"

"A desperate move, but you only have 300 life points left anyway. I now set four cards face-down, but don't worry, they won't be there for long. Now I play Emergency Provisions. This card let's me destroy any number of magic or trap cards on my side of the field to increase my life points by 1000 points per card! I will destroy all four to replenish my life points by 4000! Now it doesn't matter what you do next turn, you won't be able to defeat me." Akurei's life points shot from 1950 to 5950. That was almost 2000 more than they even started out with. He turned the floor over to Dayan.

Dayan drew. He knew this was it. It was do or die. He would not fail. He could not fail. If he did, then not only would Akurei kill him, but Ryou and Anzu would be in danger as well. He could not and would not let that happen. With Akurei's magic card, he had replenished his hand, but he had drawn a few powerful magic cards, but most of them were equip cards, and with no monsters, they were hardly useful, but now it was his turn to draw. There was one card in his deck that would help. He prayed once again to the gods. More was riding on this duel than a few locator and duel cards. There were people's lives at stake. _'Please, Ra. If you ever answer any of my prayers, let me get this one card. Let me save everyone from this threat.'_

"Make your move already!," Akurei yelled, "I'm tired of waiting. I can taste your blood already."

Dayan drew. He almost burst into tears as he saw that the gods had answered his prayers once again. He glared over at Akurei, "You threatened my life. You threatened my friends lives, and you think that you will win. Well I will tell you right now that I will not let that happen. I have drawn the cards I needed thanks to your magic card and my faith in my deck. With the power of a loved one, I will defeat you. I won't let you live."

"Are you trying to scare me? It won't work. You should know that by now. I fear nothing."

"You fear defeat. I know that. You hated the fact that you challenged me and you had to face your greatest fear of defeat. You thought you were defeating my by killing Amane that night, but all you did was make yourself a mortal enemy that would never hold pity for you. You have a black heart, and now I will crush it. Watch me. I play a field magic card, Yami!" _'Thank you, Pharaoh'_

"That's it? A field card? That won't do any good."

"You didn't let me finish. I will now play Raigeki which rids your side of the field of any monsters!" Akurei's Gray Wing was stuck by a large bolt of lighting and disappeared from the field. Dayan laughed, "And now I will show you how exactly I will defeat you. I play a card that beats with the soul of a loved one. My power comes from the people around me that I care for, not the hate in my heart like you. I play Maha Vailo!" Maha Vailo came onto the field. It did not look like enough to do any harm. Ryou and Anzu stared at each other worried. What did he have on his mind?

"I don't know what you are thinking, but remember I have 5950 life points. That weak monster only has 1550 attack. It will barely make a dent."

"Then I guess I'm going to have to play my other cards, aren't I? I play Black Pendant, and I equip it to Maha Vailo!" Maha Vailo's attack went from 1550 all the way to 2750. Dayan laughed at Akurei's confused reaction, "For every equip magic card I attach to Maha Vailo, he gains an extra 500 attack! So that is why I also equip him with Malovent Nuzzler! That brings his attack up to 3950! Again! I play Axe of Despair! Maha Vailo's attack shoots to 5450! Right now I'm 500 points away from taking out your life points. So I play my last card. You should remember it. I play Megamorph! Since my life points are lower, then it doubles Maha Vailo's attack not to mention the extra 500 points from it being equipped to him!"

Akurei stood in amazement. That one monster's attack was 11, 700. How could he play a move that powerful? It was impossible. If Dayan attacked, it would all be over. There was nothing more he could do.

"Say hello to Satan for me," Dayan yelled, "Maha Vailo, attack his life points directly!"

Akurei was hit with the powerful attack and thrown backwards, and he crashed into some crates behind him.

"Alright," Dayan said walking up to Akurei's fallen form, "I've beaten you once again. You duel with a black heart, and it will always cause you to lose against me. Now release my friends, and I will go easy on you."

Akurei started to laugh as he stood, "You may have beaten me, and won your way to the finals, but did you really think I would let you go? I'm not that merciful. We'll kill you, and then your locator cards will be mine."

"You coward!," Dayan cried.

Akurei brought out a long knife and held it to Dayan's throat, "Goodbye, Dayan. I'll make sure to let your friends have a nice, quick death while they watch you slowly die."

Before Akurei could stab the knife into him, Dayan pulled back and kicked Akurei away. He turned around to see Anzu and Ryou kick the men holding them. As they broke free, Ryou and Dayan plowed the other two men down. Anzu, meanwhile, pulled the doors open, and they ran through the open door. Just as they reached the street, two more men caught up with them. They had been guarding the doors. They crept up on them as the other two men from inside came out followed by Akurei.

"What kind of weak escape attempt was that?," he asked Dayan who was glaring at him with all the hate he could show, "Now you've just pissed me off, and I'm going to finish you all off very slowly. How much do you three like torture?" Dayan wanted to strangle Akurei with his bare hands, but what was that? He heard something coming toward them really fast. It sounded like an engine.

Before anyone could realize it, a crotch rocket motorcycle turned sideways into a stop and crashed into the two guards from the door. What seemed to be two metal shards suddenly flew from the person riding it and landed in the two men by Akurei, as the motorcycle drug the two men by its momentum and the rider landed perfectly balanced. The two men by Akurei fell to the ground while he was still trying to figure out what had just plowed into his sight. Dayan, Ryou, and Anzu had all ducked down the moment they saw the biker take down the first two men. The biker walked slowly up toward Akurei. The figure was wearing a long, black trench coat while the rest them was covered in white, but it was the familiar cling of metal that signaled to Anzu who it was.

"Aida?!," she cried.

Aida took off her helmet and tossed it aside with the bike. She had her eyes on Akurei.

Dayan, totally unnoticed by Aida, was gaping. It was _her_! Ateyda was right in front of him!

"Who the hell are you?," Akurei asked angry that someone had interrupted his fun.

"You need to release them," she said ignoring his question, "Or you might get hurt."

Akurei laughed at this, "And you think a little girl like you is going to make me? Well, then come on, lets see what you've got."

Aida approached him with a confident smile on her face. She flipped her staff around waiting for his move. Akurei had his knife back and had another to match. They stared at each other for a few moments when he attacked. He lunged at her throat, and as soon as she had pulled back, he lunged at her unprotected stomach. She easily spun to her left and got behind him with her coat flying around her as she swung the staff toward his head. He fell forward, but she grabbed the back of his shirt and pulled him back. She held her staff underneath his chin softly choking him. He tried to kick her, but she let go of the staff, jumped up, and kicked him in square in the back. He fell to the ground clearly no longer amused. She was slapping him around while he had not gotten in one hit yet. He expertly flipped his knives around in his hands. The intimidation worked on Ryou and Anzu, but Aida was not going to falter. He lunged at her once again, and she laughed as she easily dodged his attack and let his momentum throw him to the ground as she pushed his head toward the pavement with the end of her staff.

He got up slowly, "Try and dodge this!" He threw one of his knives directly at the middle of her face. Faster than anyone's eyes could catch, she had brought up the end of her coat and caught the knife in it before it killed her. She pulled the knife from the black leather and smiled while tauntingly waving it at him. He threw another one quick as a flash. The others watched in horror as they thought surely she had been skewered this time. This time she had put her hands together with a loud clap as she caught the knife between her palms. Now she had both knives. She walked up to him twirling them around in her hands. She threw them at the door behind him just missing him by inches, and they jammed themselves into the wood. He ran back to get his knives from the door while she picked up her staff and shrank it back to its pen size. He wrenched against the door trying to free the knives while she stood with her arms crossed smiling at him. He realized they would not budge, so he turned back to her.

"I'm not done with you yet. I don't know who the hell you are, but I could use you," he said smiling, "Maybe you'd like to join my boys and I. There would be plenty of compensation, of course."

She laughed, "Join you? Don't you mean letting all of you hold me back?," she scoffed, "I've had better offers from an infomercial."

He growled at her, "Then prepare. I will take you by force." He lunged at her again. This time a small blade had shot from his sleeve, and he grabbed it tight as he brought it swinging at Aida's stomach. They clashed and both of them froze. Anzu and Ryou gasped. Aida had just been stabbed! Dayan made a noise of disbelief as he crept a little closer. It could not be. Not after for searching for her all those years, not after finally finding her, it could not be.

Akurei looked up at Aida, "You bitch," he choked out. He fell to the ground with his own blade sunk into his gut. Aida had kept the blade from stabbing her, but his own haste had thrown him onto its awaiting tip. She stared at him for a moment not really believing what had just happened. She ignored it, however, and turned to her friends.

"Are you all right, Anzu?," she asked helping Anzu to her feet.

"Yeah, I'm fine," she replied brushing the dust from her clothes, "Thank you for saving us. How did you find us?"

"I saw three people running down the street," she explained, "I didn't think anything of it until I saw it was you, Anzu, and Ryou, isn't it?" Ryou nodded. "Anyway, I figured if you guys were in that much of a rush, then I might as well follow you."

"Thanks for that," Dayan said sitting up staring hard at Aida. She turned to look at him and could hardly believe her eyes. It was not true. That was not who she thought it was standing before her. It was impossible.

She tried to pull herself out of her trance, "No problem. I'm Aida."

"The name's Dayan," he replied. He could hardly keep himself from running and hugging her at that moment. He had waited so long to see her.

Anzu looked at her watch, "Well, I think I've had enough fun for one day."

Ryou nodded, "I'll agree with that."

Anzu turned to Aida, "Thanks again, Aida. I don't know what would have happened had you not showed up. I guess I'll see you guys tomorrow then. We can meet up with Yugi then."

_"Yami,"_ Aida thought, _"I've been gone too long."_

The three of them watched as Anzu took off toward her house. Aida turned back to Dayan. What could she possibly say to someone who looked and sounded exactly like her brother from 5000 years ago? Could she even say something? How would someone react to 'Hey, are you my brother from ancient Egypt?' Before she could think on it any longer, Ryou interrupted their silence.

"Well, now that we are all together and alone," he said laughing. That was not Ryou's voice! He brought his head up to look directly at Aida and Dayan. Dayan jumped back in shock. He knew those eyes. Bakura was indeed taking up residence in Ryou's mind.

"What do you want Tomb Robber?," Dayan asked him with venom coursing through his voice.

_"Tomb Robber?!," _Aida thought looking over at Dayan in shock, _"It's you?! It's really you, Mito?!"_

Bakura suddenly lunged out, grabbed Aida by the throat, and started to lift her off her feet. "It's time that everyone is introduced."

"Stop this, Bakura!," Dayan said as he walked forward to try freeing Aida from Bakura's grasp.

"Get back!," Aida choked out.

"What?," Dayan said stopping short.

"I said get back! I can handle this!," she said glaring down at Bakura.

"You aren't going to handle anything! I am in control of this," Bakura smiled up at her, "I guess you both have now noticed my presence. Now it is time to recognize each other, Ateyda and Mitonen. I find it extremely amusing that the two of you are here for the Pharaoh."

"What do you want?," Aida struggled against his grip.

"Your blood-drenched soul," Bakura replied, "I'll take it through a rematch; a fight 5000 years in the making."

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Another fight will ensue! Read and Review Please!


	27. Chapter 27 Back to You

What? An update this early from me? Has hell frozen over? No, but this is an update after only little over a week! Once again, thanks to my beta-reader Black-Rose-of-Death for helping me with my duels! Please check out her story! It rocks!

Disclaimer: I do not own Yu-Gi-Oh. . . . dammit!

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"Yugi's what?!," Anzu cried as Honda had run into her and told her the news.

"Yeah," he replied, "I've been all over the city looking for him. I only found his grandpa who said he watched Yugi walk into a tent and disappear."

"Someone is after him, Honda," Anzu admitted, "There is someone out there who wants Yugi dead. I found out the day we went to the museum. There is something or someone coming after him. I just hope that's not the same thing that made him disappear."

Honda was shocked at the news, but became very serious, "We gotta' find him. Wherever he is, he may need our help."

Aida and Bakura stood facing each other with fire blazing in their eyes. Dayan stood anxiously at the side lines worrying for his sister's safety. He had not even been in her presence for five minutes and she was already facing another foe. Aida had her metal staff ready, while Bakura had found a piece of metal piping that would do fine. They were on the roof of a building close by that had plenty of open space for their battle.

"This is what you want, Bakura?," Aida said coldly while they circled each other, "I don't know how you came back through another, but once I am finished with you, there will be no second life."

He laughed, "The Millennium Ring harbors my soul. It's much like your dear Pharaoh, Ateyda. I've been trapped within its depths for centuries only to return now, but at least _I_ remember that cold face of yours."

She felt her chest jerk with anger, "Being trapped in that ring may have let you survive all these years, but it will sign your death sentence. While you have been stuck there all this time, I have been using these 5000 long years to perfect my fighting. Most can only train for a lifetime while I've done it for countless generations."

Bakura's eyes narrowed, "Do you remember our last fight? It took every last bit of strength in you to knock me out, and I had already beaten you within an inch of your life. Though you may have had 5000 years to practice, what makes you think I hadn't perfected my moves long ago? This body may not be as powerful as my last one, but its agility does far exceed my own. If you have the guts, you can take me on in this totally different situation, and I assure you it will have a completely different outcome than last time. This time you will certainly die."

Aida flipped her staff to signal the start of the fight, "Quit your droning. The faster you shut your mouth, the faster I can break it."

They slowly started making their circles again. It was just like 5000 years ago. Two fighters, one battlefield, and no definite outcome were all too familiar to all three of them. There was a faint breeze and all was quiet. The afternoon sun was crisping their skin. The only sounds gracing the landscape were their ragged breathing from the adrenaline pumping through their veins waiting the first strike. Aida watched Bakura's face closely when she saw his jaw tighten. He swung his staff from the right. She easily blocked the opening move, but from previous experience she knew he would throw a mirrored hit. He tried to punch from the left seconds after the staff from the right distracted her. She was expecting it, ducked down underneath the attack, and jabbed the end of her staff at his stomach. He had been expecting it and brought up his knee. It threw off her staff and just grazed her jaw before her lightning fast reflexes reacted. She fell backwards to the ground, but before he could jam his staff into her, she flung her feet above her head and used one hand to push herself up onto one arm and flip over completely back onto her feet.

Dayan watched every move flash past him faster than he could even comprehend them. They were both extremely fast and quick to judge certain moves. They were almost precognitive being able to dodge the blows that his eyes could barely see flash past. They were blurs of white and black. Their fluent movements made the fight completely silent leaving the air filled with the sounds of Aida's coat whipping with her movements and their quick exhales of breath when they would throw a hit. It was a match of masters that was worth TV coverage around the world. They were indeed the best of the best, and no one on this earth had more experience than them. Bakura was a natural. The years in the Millennium Ring had not taken a day off of his skills, but Ryou's body seemed to increase his agility and flexibility. Aida, on the other hand, had indeed improved her skill. She was fighting move for move with Bakura. 5000 years had heightened her senses and increased her strength far beyond what a woman of her size should have been able to exert. It was a scene to marvel at, yet Dayan merely let his heart race at the sidelines silently praying for Ra to be with her.

Bakura suddenly charged at her and threw his blows as fast as his reflexes could react. Aida was using all her concentration to block every single one, but she had to keep backing up little by little to keep her composure. Was he trying to corner her? It was not going to work. Every time it looked like he was closing in on her, she would kick herself off of the boundary behind her and be at his side. He started to throw his blows faster along with a few well placed fakes. It was in her concentration to decipher what hit he was really trying to land that he had slowly moved her over to the edge of the building. She was on the edge. She had neither footing nor room enough to try and flip over or around him. He continued his assault, and the mere force of his blows made her loose her foothold on the rooftop. Her breath caught in her throat as she felt herself falling backwards.

"Ateyda!!," Dayan screamed as he watched her disappear.

It all happened in a few seconds. She lost her footing, the wind started to whip around her as Bakura became further and further away, and then she slammed into something hard and metal. The moment she hit, she heard the metal crunch from her fall, but whatever she had landed on was moving. The moving object caused her to start to roll. She reached out and grabbed the closest thing to give her a grip. She caught a hold of a ledge and her body's momentum caught up with whatever she had fallen on. She pulled herself up on the vehicle below her as it started to slow a bit. It was a black limo, and when she fell, she had grabbed the open sunroof ledge. She pulled herself back up to a standing position when the limo increased its speed again as if no one had just fallen on its roof. The back of the limo gave a jerk and she looked back to see Bakura pulling himself onto it as well. The wind whipped through their hair as they stared at each other. This was a feat that would require their skills. Bakura had the same idea she had as he continued the fight and tried to kick her face from the right. She ducked down and caught his ankle with her staff. With a flick of her wrist, he came crashing down onto the limo's already slightly caved roof. He quickly flung himself back up again only to meet her awaiting fist. He quickly swung his staff around to meet it. She cried out and held her sprained hand while he came closer. He aimed a well placed punch toward her face, but when she ducked quickly, releasing her hand to get a better grip on her staff, he swung his staff at her feet causing her to fall back and crash down on the roof of the moving vehicle. He laid his staff down on her ankles the moment she hit so she could not get up as fast as normal. He grabbed her leg just above her ankle and lifted her into the air upside down. He laughed as he held her over the fast moving pavement. She looked down at the ground horrified knowing that there was nothing that could save her from that drop, but he had her so far out from the limo that she was in the other lane of traffic. She quickly had to swing herself out of the way before a speeding motorcycle nearly decapitated her, and much to her amazement, Bakura threw her back onto the limo once again. He was watching the motorcycle that had just gone past. The Millennium Ring was glowing and he had a hungry look in his eyes.

"We'll have to finish this later," he said right before he jumped from the moving limo and darted into an alleyway disappearing. She got up and tried to look for any signs of him, but he was gone. She retracted her staff and stuck it into her pocket. He had bailed for some reason. She could not understand his reasoning or what he had planned, but she had a feeling it was not good.

She was about to hop down from the limo as well when something grabbed onto her ankle once again and she was sent crashing into the limo's decrepit roof. This time she was pulled down toward the end of the limo and yanked violently through the sunroof. She came through with a painful landing inside the limo on the floor. It was extremely dark from the tinted windows, but she could see a pair of cold eyes watching her from the seat in front of her.

"I'm sorry about your roof, but what the hell is your problem?," she yelled pulling herself into a sitting position trying to make sure all of her vertebrae were still in tact.

"It's strange. You just fell from the sky," a raspy, all too familiar voice said.

"K-Kaiba?," she asked. If it was not one Millennium item wielder, it was another.

Seto Kaiba leaned forward to greet her, "Indeed."

"Look, I don't know what you want, but if you could just stop the car and let me out, it'd be great," she said coldly.

He throated a response of amusement, "I'm afraid I'm going to have to ask you to come with me."

"What? What the hell do you want?"

His cold glare returned, "I want to know who you are."

_'He doesn't remember'_

He continued, "I know you from somewhere, and I want to know where."

"Well, I don't know. You don't know me, and I don't know you. So let's stop these little rendezvous, ok?" She moved toward the door to get out, but he blocked her way.

"You're lying."

She sighed, "What the hell do you care anyway? Someone of your status shouldn't be worrying about someone he doesn't know and who doesn't have anything he wants."

That was not true. He could not simply voice the fact that her image filled his dreams. He could not get her face out of his head. He knew her from somewhere, but even going through every memory he could possibly conjure, he could not think of where he had known her from. When he had researched every thing he could on her, he saw that her whole life she had been running from place to place. Mostly in her younger years she stayed in a small area of northern Japan, but just recently within the last few years, she had been everywhere from America to India to Australia and everywhere in between. He could not recall their paths ever crossing aside from a few days before, but he knew her. The only way he could get on with his company and forget about her completely was if he could purge her from his system, and the only way to do that was to force her to do it for him. If he could only get her to tell him who the hell she really was, then maybe he could return to his usual self and get back into more familiar thoughts.

"I assure you that I have my best interests at heart," he said not giving away a single thing, "You know what I want to know from you. Who are you _really_?"

"I am the only me there is," she replied not wanting to spark even the slightest bit of memory within him. The less he remembered the better. As she took in her surroundings like any real warrior had the tendency to do, she noticed that Kaiba still kept lavish surroundings just like in the past. It was no surprise. He acted like anything that did not cost a fortune was a mockery to his very existence. There was something different this time. She felt no powerful presence in him, and furthermore she did not see a Millennium item in sight. Surely he wielded one just as Yami and Bakura did.

A beep came from Kaiba. She looked over confused as he grabbed the corner of his left lapel. Suddenly a voice came from it with a slight bit of panic.

"Seto, Yugi's duel disk isn't transmitting a signal anymore," said the voice that seemed to belong to a little boy.

Kaiba opened up his laptop quickly to see that Yugi was no where to be seen on the map of Battle City. What happened? He bet it had something to do with these rare hunters everyone is so fearful about. He needed to get back to headquarters. They could figure out what was going on when they got there. It looked as if someone was blocking his signal.

"Mokuba, I'm off to Kaiba Corp. I'll call back when I find him," he responded back. He looked up to tell Aida she would have to come, but he was looking at an empty cab. He did not hear anything on the roof. He turned around to look out the back window and saw her standing in the limo's wake bidding him adieu. She turned and disappeared into the crowd.

"Clever," he said to himself, "I'll have to keep closer watch next time."

Honda and Anzu had been running down the streets looking for any trace of where they might find Yugi, but not one clue arose as to his whereabouts. They momentarily stopped to catch their breath, and Honda leaned against a building then slid down to the ground.

"This city is huge, and I've already searched it thoroughly myself. We are going to need some help if we expect to get to him," Honda said panting.

Anzu leaned against the wall as well, "Who do you suggest we ask help for? It's not like just anyone can help us find a friend who disappeared into thin air."

With a blur of yellow, they saw Mokuba rushing past them.

"Mokuba!," Honda called out, "What's the hurry?"

"Honda?," Mokuba asked as he came to a sudden halt.

"Mokuba," Anzu pleaded, "You've got to help us. Yugi's gone missing. He went into a building and disappeared."

"I know," he responded, "Seto just found out where he is. You can follow me, but you have to keep up."

"Let's go," Honda said not wanting to waste anymore time.

Bakura ran down the alleyways. He could hear the engine of the motorcycle roaring as it careened through the back streets of Domino. He picked up his pace to dart around the corners of buildings to get an advantage on his fast-moving prey. He needed more open space to move. He ran up a flight of old, wrought iron stairs attached to a decrepit building. He found himself on a flat rooftop that overlooked the section of short buildings in the city. He could still hear the rider close by, so he needed to move quickly. He took off at breakneck speed. The edge of the building came closer, and as soon as he had reached it, he launched himself off the ledge and landed with perfect poise onto the next building's rooftop. He could hear the biker riding along his right side. The next building was much taller than the one he was on, but that did not stop him. He kept up his pace not losing his balance one degree from his landing and raced to the next edge of the building. He kicked himself from the ledge of the building as hard as he could, enabling him to grab a bar of a broken fire escape dangling in the air. He changed his body's momentum to another direction and swung himself over to an emergency exit. The biker was turned toward him. He needed to keep up this pace. There was a staircase leading from the doorway to his left. It curved three times in opposite directions and was at least 50 feet long. As soon as he landed, he punched a hole in a window and ripped the frame off completely. It was a sturdy wood that would do fine. He placed it beneath his feet and pushed off to slide very quickly down the very steep steps. As the first turn came, he grabbed the corner of the railing to launch himself in the opposite direction. He did the same for the second turn all the while his speed was increasing by the second. The last turn was coming up, but he heard the biker one street over. A road directly in front of the staircase's last turn delved into the ground underneath a set of railroad tracks. He watched the traffic going by and timed it perfectly. He came up on the railing around the last turn, and leapt off of the window frame stepping off the rails for extra air time. He was flying through the air directly toward the busy road of traffic below. His feet hit the top of a semi-truck, and he had to blindly leap into the next lane of traffic headed the other way before the railway bridge crushed his skull. He landed on a car's roof making it sink in half a foot. He watched the fencing on the other side go by and he leapt for it grabbing on to its metal grid and climbing up fast as lightning. The biker was coming straight for him. He ran down another alleyway hearing it skid through a harrowing turn. Just as it was about to pass him, he leapt into its path making the driver turn sideways into a stop.

The biker took off his helmet to reveal platinum blonde hair and striking lavender eyes. He glared over at the man who had stepped into his path before saying, "Who the hell are you?"

"That is not important," Bakura replied opening his jacket to reveal the Millennium Ring, "Now just hand over that Millennium Rod and there won't be bloodshed. Anyone who tries to stop me will die."

"Why do you want my Millennium Rod?," the blonde asked curiously.

"I'm collecting all the Millennium items," he responded, "For when I wield them all, the world will be in my hands."

_'He knows about the Millennium items,'_ the lavender-eyed man thought, _'but if the thinks that is the ultimate power, he'll be terribly surprised when I take over. The Pharaoh's power is much stronger, and I plan to take it in the Battle City tournament! My rare hunter, Arkana is dealing with the ancient ruler now, but I always have a back up plan. I will get what I want one way or another.'_ He smirked as he spoke, "My name is Malik."

"And I am Bakura," he replied.

Malik brought out the Millennium Rod and gazed lovingly at it before looking back up at Bakura, "I'll give you this Millennium Rod if you do something for me first. I'm not interested in the Millennium items. I want the Pharaoh's life. If you help me, the Millennium Rod is yours."

Bakura smirked, "How about I just take it by force instead?"

"We can fight if you like," Malik replied, "but let me tell you that I know where several other Millennium items are."

Bakura ignored him, "Let's have a duel right here. My Millennium Ring versus your Millennium Rod in a match of winner takes all." Malik nodded and the whole surrounding area grew dark. Light started to emanate from their Millennium items as they started the fight. They glared into each other's eyes promising a quick death to each other, but just as they battle got underway, Malik felt Bakura pulling back.

"On second thought," he said shrugging, "I don't think I would lose, but having thought it over some more I realize that you and I are fighting for the same reason. We are fighting against the same foe. My plan is that the easiest way to defeat Yugi, is to get to his friends first."

"Done," Malik agreed, "The power of the Millennium Rod will make it simple. I'll go after his friends myself."

"Their friendship is extremely strong," Bakura said leaning against a building, "I hope you don't get in over your head. Pitting them against each other will not be an easy task."

"I can handle it," Malik sneered, "No one can resist my magic."

_'We'll see about that,'_ Bakura thought, _'I'll just play along for now, and I'll use you to get everything I want.'_

_'This idiot has taken my bait,'_ Malik thought staring at Bakura's confident smile, _'With his help, taking the Pharaoh's powers will be that much easier. When I get what is rightfully mine, I'll kill him. I'll make him think I'm his ally until he gets me what I want.'_

"This is what I want to do," Malik began, "I want you to enter the Battle City tournament and try to get into the finals. If you can do that much, then you can help me get the three Egyptian God Cards."

"And then you'll hand over the Millennium item?," Bakura asked with a hiss in his voice.

"Yes," Malik nodded, "There is also one other thing you should know. There is a woman protecting the Pharaoh. She will prove troublesome, but leave her to me."

"Wait," Bakura stopped him, "I will help you, but if I am going to agree to do these things for you, you will relinquish her to me."

Malik studied him, "I will hand her over when I am finished with her."

Bakura sneered, "What preoccupation do you have with her?"

Malik laughed sardonically, "I should be asking you the same. What do you want with her?"

"I want to kill her," he said slowly, "I want to bathe in her blood, and watch her suffer through her last dying breaths. Is that good enough for you?"

Malik smirked, "I agree she is a hindrance. Once I am finished with her, you may do with her as you wish. I do not care. Just keep yourself occupied with the tournament for now, and I'll deal with her and Yugi's friends." They both nodded and went their separate ways. It was time to begin the end of Yugi and the Pharaoh.

"Watch out," Honda said pushing the rest of them away from the door a bit, "I'll take care of this." They had been trying to break open the door Yugi was behind for half an hour with no avail. It was solid and bolted to its frame. There were strange sounds coming from the room. There was a strange hum along with several shouts and screams. They were all afraid that they might not be able to get into the room in time. Honda summed up all the strength he could muster and ran at the door with as much force he could exert. He hit hard and wondered if his bones would break before the door would, but he heard the crunch of metal as it began to give. He pulled back and rammed it again. His body was screaming for him to stop. The sting on his skin ran all the way through his bones which were threatening to shatter at any moment. With a final ram, his shoulder slammed into the door with a sickening crack and it flew out of its frame and into the room beyond. He moved his shoulder a bit letting it pop back into place painfully, but then charged into the room with the others following suit.

"Yugi?!," Anzu called out.

"Hey guys," a Yugi's saddened voice greeted them. The same thing ran through all of their minds. _'Thank god.'_

Honda ran over to him, "Yugi! Are you alright?! Who's that?" There was a strange man in Yugi's arms that was dressed in the most horrendous purple striped outfit they had ever seen.

"One of Malik's rare hunters. His name is Arkana," Yugi replied as Honda helped lift Arkana off of him as he was struggling under the man's weight.

"Arkana?," Anzu asked.

"Yeah," Yugi replied, "Malik tricked him into dueling me."

"How?," Honda asked curiously.

"He made a promise to Arkana. He promised to bring back a loved one, but Malik, in his selfish greed, lied," Yugi was now shaking with anger which was very unlike him.

"Yugi? Are you ok?," Anzu asked softly.

"I'm so sick of Malik!," he shouted, "People's emotions and lives are nothing to him! He doesn't even know Yami, but he wants to kill him and take everything from him. Even his followers are betrayed. He's sick!"

They all stared at him for a moment not knowing how to respond. It was only when Yami came out that Yugi calmed down. The transparent spirit gazed over at Yugi sympathetically, yet his voice was strong and stern.

_"Yugi, there is nothing you can do about that," Yami began, "Malik does not care about anyone but himself, and getting yourself worked up over it is not going to change that."_

_Yugi hung his head, "I know. I just can't help but feel like I'm helpless. I feel like I'm just a pawn in his game."_

_"Yugi. . .," Yami said getting close to Yugi's face, "You and I have defeated him every time he has sent his pawns after us. He has not come any closer to the Millennium Puzzle, and we won't let him get close anyway," he stroked Yugi's cheek lovingly, "Do not lose hope for I have faith in our abilities. Malik will not win this war. I will not let him."_

"Yugi?," Anzu asked cautiously.

"Sorry, Anzu," Yugi said looking up with a small smile on his face, "I just spaced there for a second."

"I'm glad you're ok," Mokuba said coming up, "Although I have to say that Seto has been looking for you. Just wait for tomorrow Yugi, my brother will want to duel you."

Yugi merely nodded, "I'll be ready, but I think I've had enough for one day." They all nodded a voiced their agreement as they walked out and departed down their different streets toward home. Yugi was walking silently not saying a word to Yami even though his transparent form stayed right beside him and eyed him the entire time. What was he thinking about? Yami knew he was asking more of him than he deserved. He was asking Yugi to put his life on the line to help aid Yami in his battle. He was asking him to put himself in dangerous situations that no youth should ever have to experience. If he thought about it, all the stuff that he had put Yugi through was astronomical. How many teens could say they had dueled a sinister game creator via a video tape, beat the unbeatable game master, was now fighting against a new evil that could control people's minds, not to mention being possessed by the spirit of an ancient Egyptian Pharaoh, and all the while teaming up with him in a battle to save the entire earth from deadly destruction? He highly doubted that was on a 'What I did this summer' essay.

Aida was walking slowly down the street toward her apartment. The shops were just about to close and the sun was setting on the calming city streets. Most of the duelists had gone home after a hard day of dueling. She walked past a few elderly gentlemen sitting on a bench. They looked uneasily at her. It was not the most endearing appearance to be walking down the street in a black trench coat with a sword dangling from a waist belt. She ignored everyone around her. She had too much on her mind. Was that really Mito that she saw? It could not have been an apparition. Since she fell from the rooftop in her fight with Bakura, she had long since lost track of him. She was not worried. She needed a break to give her nervous system time to recuperate from the shock. Yet even as she had discovered the Tomb Robber was in modern times along with her brother, it had been days since she had seen Yami. He could be in danger at that very moment and she would not be there to fight at his side. She looked at the ground in shame. Was she really going to let her own emotions get in the way of her vow to him?

"Absolutely not!," she cried suddenly out loud shocking a few passerby. What had she been doing? She mentally scolded herself. How could she? In her shock that he had no memories, she had let her stupid moral emotions get in her way. It had been centuries since she let that happen, and she would not let it happen anymore. Even if she could not touch him, kiss him, caress his warm skin, or lay by his side at night, she was not going to let her own feelings get in the way of his safety. She had promised him long ago that she would always be there for him and protect him in his time of need.

_"You don't remember me, but I remember you."_

She turned suddenly to the display window of a music store. The lyrics caught her attention. Did they just say what she thought they said?

_"I lie awake and try so hard not to think of you."_

Her eyes were wide and she slowly approached the TV screen displayed in the window. She did not follow music, so the band was foreign to her. Yet as she listened, the lyrics were speaking her thoughts. It was if she were pouring her soul in a mirror.

_"But who can decide what they dream, and dream I do."_

She walked up very close to the glass and put her hands up trying to touch the image in front of her. Was there someone out there going through what she had? Not likely, but what about their pains? Did they hurt just as bad as she?

_"I believe in you. I'll give up everything just to find you."_

Did they have someone so close, but they could not reach them? Had they loved someone so bad that the moment they strayed but a few feet away it was like someone had ripped their very flesh from their bones?

_"I'll give up everything just to find you."_

It repeated in her head. All those years of searching, she was not going to waste it all on her emotions. All those millennia she had waited for when he would return for one reason; to protect him. She would do it even if she had to give her blood, her life, and even her soul just to help him on his journey.

"Aida?," she heard a deep, velvety voice greet her. Her breath caught in her throat. Her eyes were wide from being shocked out of her trance, but even more so because of the person who had done it.

She slowly turned from her place very close to the shop's window to look over at those beautiful Egyptian eyes. He looked exquisite. The setting sun cast blood red light around his silhouette. His blonde bangs accented his gorgeous face while a small breeze quietly blew them and his coat which he was wearing like a cape. It reminded her of the purple velvet cape he used to wear thousands of years ago. It seemed that some style you just cannot beat out of someone. He was breathtaking.

"Yami," she barely whispered as she was caught in awe of his radiant beauty.

_"I have to be with you."_

"Where have you been?," he asked quietly as he took a few slow steps forward.

"I had some things I needed to take care of," she said keeping her voice completely steady, "I'm sorry I was gone that long. I did not mean to disappear for so long, but I assure you that I am here now. I will not leave your side. I will help you in this battle."

_"To live, to breathe, you're taking over me."_

"You will?," he asked curiously, "Why?"

"Because I promised you I would always be right by your side," she replied with strength in her voice, "a very long time ago."

_"Have you forgotten all I know and all we had?"_

His heart was beating extremely hard. All that she had told him about the past he did not remember, but in his heart standing there right at that moment, it became clear. It was all true. Every nerve in his body yearned to reach out. It seemed like the only thing in that foreign world that felt familiar. He walked closer to her and heard her ragged breathing. To the eyes, she looked very composed, but he could sense the blood in her veins burning with desire and hope yet her mind was trying to deny it. Her moon colored eyes had turned a bright, apple red in the sun's light. Her cold features seemed to soften in the fading light. How far would he let himself go? He only knew the story she had told to him, and nothing else about her. Yet he felt every one of his conscious and unconscious thoughts pointing to her.

Why was he looking at her like that? He had gotten extremely close. Her heart was pounding inside her head. His immense beauty was threatening to take a hold of her senses and make her forget her composure; may dignity be damned. She could not slow her breathing. She did not know how to react. She had never been in the situation where she could be so close to him, and wrapping her arms around him would be extremely uncouth. Why did the gods have to damn and torture her like this?

_"You saw me mourning my love for you and touched my hand. I knew you loved me then."_

Yami got even closer to her unable to prevent his legs from carrying him there, "I want to remember."

Her insides wrenched in pain. Ra, this was so cruel. He was there in his unbridled godliness, open for taking, and yet she had to leave him there with coldness where his warm body was supposed to be pressed against hers. She swallowed the lump in her throat, "Maybe it was not meant to be."

She saw a flash of some emotion deep within his eyes, but she could not read it. He walked up to her until he was an inch from her face, "I don't believe that. If it wasn't meant to be, then why do I constantly feel like half of my heart is calling me from within you?" They were mere inches apart. They could feel each other's breath upon their lips. He looked up into her shaking, gray eyes and said, "My whole life in this time, I've never known what to think. I only know what I feel. I understand how hard it must have been on you all these years. I may not have lived all those years like you had to, but I was never fully unconscious while trapped in the scattered pieces of the puzzle. The time I was in there was not quick like a peaceful sleep. The whole entire time I was tortured with wondering where I was and if I even existed. The truth is, that I've never told anyone, not even aibou, that all those millennia in the puzzle I felt something calling out to me. It was the only truth I could find that I even existed and that maybe I was not trapped in an eternal hell. It helped keep me sane, and now I finally know what it was."

She tried to read his face, but he kept it well hidden, "What?"

"It was you," he said then very slowly made his lips meet hers.

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fanning myself So hot! Review Please!


	28. Chapter 28 The Assassination

Disclaimer: I do not own Yu-Gi-Oh.

* * *

Aida started to walk home. Her face was flushed and her breathing was staggered. She could not believe what had just happened. Did this change everything now? How was she supposed to feel? She thought once she finally found him and was with him once again, she would be filled with uninhibited happiness. Yet as she walked down the dark paths toward home, she felt nothing but blank. She could not feel happy. Was what he said truly his feelings? She could not feel sad. The man she loved had kissed her for the first time in 5000 years. She was torn between the two emotions unable to sway herself in any certain direction, so she walked home in the blank, empty middle of sentiment. She let out a sigh of frustration, and continued her way home. She would have to wait things out and see what happened. She had done it for thousands of years. What was another few days?

"I would stop where you are," a voice came from behind her. She stopped immediately and slowly turned around. A man dressed in a black suit and tie stood with three other men of the same attire.

"What do you want," she asked becoming angry for being interrupted from her thoughts.

"Mr. Kagamira calls for you," he replied and gazed at her hard.

She nodded and immediately changed her direction to follow the three suits. A limo came from an alleyway and pulled up beside her. She got inside, and it took off down the quiet, dark street.

Yami stood outside Aida's apartment building. He was leaning against the wall with his eyes closed. He could hear the sweet sounds of the dead night air. Even though most people can only hear what they believe is true, he could hear things that were not of the same world. He looked out over the darkening, concrete landscape where the streets were baren, yet they were filled with life. There are many people who believe that ghosts, spirits, or apparitions of people long since dead roam the earth for all of eternity. Whether it may be from life tasks never accomplished or a life cut short, no one knows. The spirits just live on in their own dimension of the world. He could see people from all previous centuries that had walked those paths before him now. They were transparent and barely visible, but he could see them. No, he knew they were not ghosts or spirits. They were merely imprints. The human body creates its own electric charge, and it is this charge that leaves a permanent imprint. Yami, with his keen, discerning eyes could see all the imprints. All the people who had ever crossed the area left one. The human soul leaves those tracks everywhere it goes. It leaves feelings, thoughts, emotions, and even images if one is looking hard enough. He was searching for one in particular. He wanted to see her, even if it were only her imprint. Finally, one stood out to him among the rest. Aida walked up the steps and stopped directly in front of him. Her head dropped as she tensed suddenly, and with a shrill scream threw her fist into the wall. Below her translucent fist was a dent in the wall. She then quickly turned and went through the closed door where she disappeared.

His ancient eyes had seen many things in many years, and it was his perception of the world around him that had let him realize many things faster than others. He could piece scenarios together faster than any mortal. His intelligence was infathomable, yet there was one thing he had always had control of, and in all his years he had never had the ability to predict that he would lose his hold on his emotions. His head was spinning with questions and thoughts that he did not know how to deal with. This is very unlike him, but there he stood. He was waiting to talk to Aida. He had things to say, and their abrupt departure from their last meeting did not put any closure on what had happened.

"Yami," a voice came.

He jumped slightly and turned to see who had jarred him from his thoughts. All the transparent images of people were gone. The only transparent person before him was a smaller version of himself.

"Yugi," he said calming down a bit, "You startled me."

"Sorry, Yami," he replied looking sheepish, "I just wanted to ask you why you decided to come here."

"There are things Aida and I must discuss," Yami said looking at the ground.

"Oh," Yugi replied quietly looking down at the ground as well. He knew something serious was on Yami's mind, but he did not want to be rude and ask. Yami was always thoughtful and kind when it came to Yugi. Yugi knew that if he ever asked Yami a question, Yami would always feel an obligation to answer it somehow. This was one of those times when he did not want to use that gift.

After a short car ride, Aida stepped out of the car and walked inside a large building in downtown Domino. She walked through the large, marbled lobby to the elevator. All was dark and quiet. It was too late for the building to be open for "common" business. The elevator ride was tense and silent. She did not know what Kagamira wanted with her, but when he called, she always went. She had worked with him – he would say worked for him – many times, and had earned herself respect with upper-class criminals and mafia. Whether they were involved with the Yakuza or not, she did not know, nor did she care.

The elevator stopped on the top floor. The door opened to reveal a very small walkway that lead to a very large door. It was flanked by several guards who immediately came to attention at seeing her arrive with a sword dangling at her side. She merely looked up and glared. They knew her, and let her pass.

"I didn't know you would be here, Yugi," came Anzu's voice from the staircase. Yami looked over in shock as Anzu slowly came into view as she climbed to the top, "I was hoping to catch Aida at home. I heard she had returned, but I guess I was wrong."

Yami faked a kind smile, "Yes. I saw her today. She has returned, but I guess she has just not arrived at home. I have begun to worry."

"You don't think she's hurt, do you," Anzu said suddenly with fear shaking her voice.

"With her skills, it would take quite a foe to harm her," Yami replied then turned to look up at the sky, "I have just been worrying that something pressing has detained her."

"Oh," Anzu said turning red from her quickness to fear, "I came by to see her. It has been so long since she has been around. We have all begun to miss her. I really like her. . . Yami? Can I ask you a question?"

He looked up in an amused curiosity.

She looked down as if deep in thought, "If everything about Aida is true, then she must be your soul mate. She doesn't have a millennium item like you or Bakura. So, do you think her link to you has anything to do with her constant rebirth?"

Yami looked over with wide eyes. He was astonished that such an educated guess came from _her_. Usually she cheered him on, and occasionally gave him a pep talk – whether he wanted it or not – but never did she come to a conclusion as abstract and meaningful as that. He gave her a genuine smile this time, "I don't know, Anzu, but you may just be right."

She blushed a bit and smiled back. Whether Yami liked her or not, her intentions were not for the worse. She was a bright girl when she wanted to be, and would be a loyal friend even in the depths of hell.

Aida stood at a large desk at the very end of the long, large room. There was a man of about thirty sitting in a high back chair seated at the beautiful mahogany colored desk. He had a strong build with his hair neatly combed back and a thing goatee to give him a very groomed look. He wore an immaculate business suit of charcoal grey with white pinstripes. He gazed at her presenting his proposition. He snapped his fingers and two men propped a suitcase in front of her and opened it. As she peered inside, one of her eyebrows slightly raised. The man smiled and nodded.

"Will you take us up on our offer now," he replied with a confident smile.

Yami took one last look at her doorway and up and down the street. She was not coming home. He slowly made his way down the staircase and made his way back to the game shop.

The Kaiba household was sleeping peacefully. All was quiet. The servants were finishing up the chores for the day and prepared for tomorrow. They locked all the doors and windows not that the highly advanced security system was not already enough to keep out air itself. No one had ever attempted to break into the Kaiba mansion; not since Seto took it over. However, this night that would all change. Everything outside was dark with the new moon overhead. A figure draped in black was stooped on the wall that lined the estate.

"Ra, be my guide on this path I'm about to take," Aida said as she adjusted the black katana around her waist. She was covered from head to toe in close-fitting black, thick nylon. A black, steel mask covered nose and mouth which was tied around her head using ebony silk. A sash tied around her waist held fast the long, thin katana dangling at her side. She had designed the outfit herself after Japanese ninjas. She made modifications to suite her and made the outfit lighter, and with less "ornaments" as she called them. She was confident in her skills, and did not need all the extra equipment they normally carried.

The night had a crisp chill that almost crackled in her ears. There was not a single breeze or movement in the atmosphere. It was a truly silent night. These were indeed rare. It was nights like this that it felt as if someone might have been watching. The world was so cold and dead one was sure that the whole world has stopped to listen for death. No one walked the streets at this time. They were all scared they would be targeted. All should have rested assure that night, because there would only be one fatality that hour of black. Death was surely coming, and it would come for one in the Kaiba household.

She leapt off the wall and landed on one hand in the grass below. She pressed a button inside the mask with her lips, and then blew through the holes to release a micro-fine powder. There was a laser directly in front of her face. There was a netting of them criss crossing across the entire lawn. She frowned seeing the hazy red line. This was no ordinary laser. Not only would an unsuspecting intruder set off an alarm when crossing this barrier, but they would also loose a limb. She huffed at it. It made her job that much longer, but it was a small hinderance she could handle.

First thing she need to do was get across the lawn. One false move, and she would be an amputee. The way the lasers were strategically placed, she would only be able to have one hand or foot on the ground at once. She lowered her body slowly toward the ground, and in one quick movement, she launched herself toward the house and landed balanced on her right foot. She had to stand on the ball of her foot as not to graze a laser she had come within centimeters of hitting. Her breathing staggered for a moment while she tried to calm herself. She could do it. She had to do it. Once again she leapt into the air. This time she was close enough to grab the branch of a tree. She felt the slick bark collide with her palm. The freshly laid dew was just present on enough to make the surface slippery enough that she immediately lost her grip. The top part of her body started to make its decent to the ground. If she hit the ground, she would not only be decapitated, but she would surely land on the entire grid of lasers and be cut in to neatly sized chunks of black corpse. With what little leverage and control she had in midair, she kicked her foot toward the branch and sunk it a few inches into the thick wood. She violently swung back and forth for a few moments just inches above the lasers feeling the intense pain in her foot. She bet she had broken every bone in it, but at that moment, it was the only thing that was holding her above the ground. She bit her lip and took a few deep breaths. If that was the only injury she received this night, she would be lucky. She knew what skill she possessed, but she knew even more so what skill Kaiba possessed. She fought with her fists and sword. He fought with his electronics and security system. It was a battle whether Kaiba knew what was going on at the moment or not.

"Ok, Kaiba," she whispered maintaining her balance in the branch of the tree, "You may have got a jab in that round, but in the end, I will have your head."

She slowly pulled herself back up to the branch and got a firm grip. With a sickening crunch, she wrenched her foot from the branch. She gritted her teeth and held back the urge to scream. Taking a few deep breaths and regaining control of herself, she lifted herself into the tree. The hardest part was over. She jumped from branch to branch to reach the very top. She peered in the windows to see black. Maybe that was not the hardest part. She tiptoed slowly down the tree branch toward the window and gazed inside. She saw a brief green flash. That was it. She quickly pulled a slender black tube from her sash and blew one end. It cut cleanly through the glass and hit its direct target. She got closer to the window and examined the lock. The mansion was older since it was Kaiba's father that had had it built many years ago. She let out an amused laugh. It was a standard flip lock. Instead of using a glass cutter and risking someone hearing the spare glass piece break, she pulled a small black cube from her pocket. She turned the dial on it and set it next to the lock on the other side of the pane. It used high magnetic currents to turn the lock toward her. She watched it move and heard it click. She quietly slid the window open, and pulled herself inside.

Her new environment was just as quiet as the last. She reached over and pulled her dart from the security box on the wall. She had only disabled the system in this area, but it would not be long before someone noticed. She needed to work quickly. She slipped silkily down the hallway toward a pair of large, white double doors trimmed in gold. This was no doubt the master bedroom. She slowly turned the handle to open the door. She lowered herself to the floor where she crawled just a few centimeters from it across the bedroom. She crept toward the bed, gliding across the floor like a black widow. Another button clicked inside her mask, and she blew a bit of sleeping dust toward Kaiba. She climbed up on top of the bed and stood above him. She wrapped her fingers around the hilt of the katana. This was it. She would finally bring an end to him. She pulled the cold steel from its case and raised it high into the air with both hands. The blade was pointed down at its victim. Finally, it would all end.

Yugi rampaged down the staircase the next morning to his awaiting cereal bowl. He had to get his breakfast down as fast as possible. He could not wait to get back to dueling again. He was halfway through devouring his Lucky Charms when he noticed a transparent form of himself sitting beside him. He usually had a look of deep thought and concern, yet this was the first time he had ever seen Yami have the aura of a daydream about him. Yugi almost choked on purple horseshoe as he stopped to stare at the almost mirror image of himself look as if he were enamored with something on the wall. What had gotten into him? Did it have something to do with Aida? He remembered seeing her standing by shop window the day before, but after that Yami had blocked him off and forced him into his soul room.

"What is going on, Yami," Yugi said sitting with his knees on his chair staring directly at his other half.

The spirit stirred and looked shocked to see extremely large eyes peering at him, "Huh? What? Did you say something Yugi?"

Yugi leered at him, "Something is up. You are never this inattentive."

Yami cleared his throat for a moment, "It's nothing, aibou. I was just thinking."

"Daydreaming is more like it," Yugi said still not satisfied, "I think I know what it is," he turned back to give his full attention to his cereal, "You saw Aida yesterday. Something happened."

Yami choked for a moment, "What ever gave you that idea? I saw her yesterday, but I just asked her where she had been. That's all."

"Did you kiss her?"

"Aibou!"

"Come on, Yami. I'm your other half, am I not? We have a link through our minds, do we not? You can tell me. It's not like I couldn't tell what kind of emotions you had."

Yami's eyes were wide, "Drop it, aibou."

Yugi gave him a malicious grin, "Never!"

Yami gave him a quizzical look, "What has gotten into you?"

"I just think it is about time you had some fun," Yugi said with a small grin on his face as he slowly drank the sugary milk from his bowl, "Besides, this is payback for teasing me about Anzu."

Yami snorted, "You have to admit that Anzu is pathetic."

Yugi was at the sink running water through the bowl, "I know you don't like her Yami, but she is my friend."

"Didn't you feel a little more than just friendship for her about a year ago?"

"At least I'm not denying it like your little rendezvous with Aida."

"Let's just go," Yami said heaving a whimsical sigh, but before he could continue, there was a rap at the front door.

"We're closed," Yugi shouted as the ran to the front of the store, "We don't open for another. . ." Aida stood at his door with adorned in a sickening blood spatter.

* * *

I know this was a short chapter, but I felt you guys needed an update. 


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